I had a teacher ask me to help find some resources for them to use this month while they were exploring the history of Marian Anderson. I wanted to give the students more of an experience with her than just reading a biography, so I started searching.
I was able to find video clips of her Lincoln Memorial performance that I didn’t know existed. This will help to put that into context with the time, the location, and to be able to hear her voice as well as see her face. I think it will help students make a personal connection to this event.
Did you know that over 75,000 people attended this concert and millions listened in on the radio? What an impact this must have made, especially with Eleanor Roosevelt helping set it up after Constitution Hall would not let her perform due to her race. I also came across several song recordings, interview recordings, and photo galleries from various sources that could be used in a larger unit.
A study of Marian Anderson can fit into units on music, opera, NAACP, Eleanor Roosevelt, segregation, and many other topics.
If you were doing one of the units listed above, you might be able to use these books from Big Universe Learning: