On This Day in History

This Day in History: Marian Anderson Performs at Lincoln Memorial in 1939

Clay Cane
April 9, 2025

Contralto Marian Anderson performs for a crowd of thousands from the steps of Washington's Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, after she was refused permission to perform in Constitution Hall by the hall's owners, the Daughters of the American Revolution. Seated dignitaries included Cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. The event focused attention on Anderson and issues of discrimination. (AP Photo)

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On this day, April 9, in 1939, Marian Anderson made history with a powerful concert at the Lincoln Memorial after being denied the chance to perform at Constitution Hall because of her race. The Daughters of the American Revolution had barred her, but former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt intervened—resigning from the group in protest and helping arrange the open-air performance.

First lady Eleanor Roosevelt is shown with opera singer Marian Anderson at Richmond, Va., July 2, 1939, after the first lady made a presentation of the Spingarn Medal to the singer. The medal is given to black Americans in any “honorable field of endeavor.” Occasion was conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. (AP Photo)

Anderson sang before a crowd of 75,000 people, while millions more listened by radio. The concert became a defining moment in civil rights history, showcasing Anderson’s talent and resilience in the face of discrimination.

American contralto, Miss Marian Anderson, right, is shown with secretary of interior Harold Ickes before the latter introduced her to a crowd of 75,000 persons at outdoor concert on steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. (AP Photo)

Her voice echoed not only through the National Mall but also through the conscience of a nation struggling with segregation and injustice.

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane