Preview

Marian Anderson's Life During The Harlem Renaissance

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1341 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Marian Anderson's Life During The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance is remembered for many reasons. Some people remember it as the beginning to African American singers, artists, poets, and much more. Many people became popular and began their careers in this era. African Americans began to establish their rights as Citizens of the United States during this time period as well as become famous. In this essay, I will discuss how the Renaissance began, the major events and people of the Renaissance, and how the Renaissance was intertwined with Marian Anderson’s life and her career. The Harlem Renaissance is considered one of the world’s most significant movements in history. The Harlem Renaissance is hard to tell when it first began. Many people said it “didn’t just happen” (Rodgers 3). …show more content…
She has won many awards for singing. She also sang for President Kennedy and President Eisenhower’s inaugurations (notablebiographies.com). She also sang for President Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor at the white house (biography.com). She became the first African American to do so. She also performed in Scandinavia, South America, the Soviet Union, Austria, England, and Germany (notablebiographies.com). She went on several debuts in Europe. Arturo Toscanini, a famous conductor, was in the audience of these shows (notablebiographies.com). After he heard her sing once he said she had “a voice heard but once in a century” (notablebiographies.com). When she turned twenty-three years old, she entered into a contest and placed first over three hundred other singers (notablebiographies.com). Anderson had a voice so powerful it made her famous worldwide. Marian Anderson was born on February 25, 1897 in Philadelphia (biography.com). She was instantly a hit among all ages. She primarily sang in opera and classical music. She began her singing career at a young age. By six years old, she was singing in the junior choir. Her father died when she was young and she had been close to him. Slightly before her father’s death, her family had moved in with her father’s parents. After her father’s passing, she became very close to her grandfather until he died about a year later. It was also a very devastating time

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Harlem Renaissance was a literary, artistic, and intellectual movement that kindled a new black cultural identity, spanning the 1920s and to the mid-1930s. While reading the article “Black Renaissance: A Brief History of the Concept” I learned that the Harlem Renaissance was once a debatable topic. Ernest J. Mitchell wrote the article, explaining how the term “Harlem Renaissance” did not originate in the era that it claims to describe. The movement “Harlem Renaissance” did not appear in print before 1940 and it only gained widespread appeal in the 1960s. During the four preceding decades, writers had mostly referred to it as “Negro Renaissance.”…

    • 105 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Marian Anderson Essay

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In 1920 Anderson was twenty-three years old, she entered a competition and won first place over three hundred other singers. By the late 1930s, Anderson's voice had made her famous on both sides of the Atlantic. Much of Anderson's life would ultimately see her breaking down barriers for African-American…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Considering to be one of the finest contraltos of her time, Marian Anderson became the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1955. She also performed at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. After 2 years of studying the Boghetti, Anderson won a chance to sing at the Lewisohn Stadium in NY. Born February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Marian Anderson displayed vocal talent as a child, but her family could not afford to pay for formal training. Members of her church congregation raised funds for her to attend a music school for a year, and in 1955 she became the first African American singer to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    History Alive Project

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Marian Anderson was born on February 27th, 1897. She was the oldest of three sisters. Marian Anderson revealed her vocal talent as a child, but her family could not afford to pay for formal training. So her parents decided it was best to let her join the choir at the Union Baptist Church at the age of six. Then at the age of 13, Marian joined the senior choir. Within that time period Marian was also focused on attending her local high school until she was then notified that she was rejected because she was an African American. So Marian decided that it was best for her to attend the music high school that was located in Pennsylvania .Members of her church congregation raised funds for her to attend the music school for a year. As Marian impressed everyone with her talented voice her father decided it was best to surprise her with a piano that then meant so much to her. Mainly because she knew her parents couldn’t afford to pay for professional lessons so she decided to learn on her own. Furthermore, Marian Anderson commitment to her music and her choice as a singer very well impressed the rest of her choir the Union Baptist Church. They then gathered together and raised enough money, about $500, to pay for Anderson to train under Giuseppe Boghetti, a respected voice teacher. During her two years of studying with Boghetti, Anderson won a chance to sing at the Lewiston Stadium in New York after entering a contest organized by the New York Philharmonic Society. Other opportunities soon followed. In 1928 she performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time, and eventually she was then on tour around the world performing. Much of Marian’s life would eventually see her breaking down obstacles for an African-American performer. For example, in 1955 she became the first African-American singer to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Although Marian Anderson was…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marian Anderson was without a doubt one of the most famous singers of her time.…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Renaissance Fair is in town this week. It's a large fun carnival type event where every person can go and play games while they learn about the European Renaissance that happened several 100's of years ago. But what ever happened with the other Renaissances? Most of them were used to lay down several basic foundations for our society and then drifted off out of our memory. One such Renaissance was the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance created and influenced some of the greatest minds of the 20th century. Zora Neale Hurston was one of these great minds. She wrote several outstanding plays and novels and helped share the unspoken point of view of several thousands of people. Her works helped to remind us of how…

    • 1885 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Harlem Renaissance was "an explosion of African-American talents and natural born gifts" (Harlem Renaissance: Re-examined 2). Although it was one of the most influential and impacting events when it came to advances in art, literature, entertainment and overall fun, many felt that the Harlem Renaissance itself wasn't so much a celebration of African-American culture, but rather a regurgitation of White principles. But no matter how big the Renaissance was African-Americans were still not accepted into mainstream America.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Harlem Renaissance created a place for “streams of black writers, musicians, performers and film-makers, a refuge from the all racism of American society” (Stuart 40). Harlem became a place separate from society where people were free to do as they pleased which allowed for creative art in the forms of writing, poetry, paintings, and music to flourish; however it also gave life to drug use, sexual adventure, and…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Harlem Renaissance; a revolutionary outburst of creative activity among African-Americans occurred in all fields of art between 1920-1930. It was a cultural and psychological turning point, an era in which black people were perceived as having finally liberated themselves from a past filled with self-doubt. It was originally called “The New Negro Movement”. It was centered in the Harlem district of New York City, but expanded across the western world. Harlem attracted a successful and stylish black middle class from which sprang an extraordinary artistic center. Like the avant-garde movements in Europe, it embraced all the art forms, including art, literature, music, dance, film, theatre and cabaret. Harlem nightlife, with its dance halls and jazz bands, featured prominently in the work of these artists. It was ore than a literary movement and more than a social revolt against racism; the Harlem Renaissance elevated the unique culture of African-Americans and redefined the African-American expression.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic and cultural explosion among African-Americans in Harlem, New York in the 1920's. The Harlem Renaissance created the greatest Americans artists, musicians, and writers of all time while expanding the identity and culture of a group that was powerless for hundreds of years.…

    • 48 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Harlem Renaissance was African-American’s cultural movement that began in 1920, it was blossoming of African American culture in terms of literature and art starting in the 1920 to 1930 reflecting the growth of Black Nationalism and racial identity. Some universal themes symbolized throughout the Harlem Renaissance were the unique experience of thralldom slavery and egressing African-American folk customs on black individuality. African American population of United States highly contributed in this movement; they played a great role to support it. In fact, major contribution was made by black-owned businesses and publication of their literary works. Nevertheless, it relied on the patronization of whites.…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marian Anderson

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Was Marion Anderson a famous singer? Yes, Marion Anderson was a famous singer. She was probably one of the most popular ones in the 1900’s. Marion Anderson played in many soap operas and sang tons of songs in the early and middle 1900’s. She also fought against racism.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From the 1920s to the mid-1930s in Harlem, New York, the movement known as the Harlem Renaissance took place in which not only inspired many to young writers, singers musician and other artists to put themselves out there and to not be afraid to be themselves. Of the Harlem Renaissance, the ones who stood out the most were, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith,and Lucille Bogan to name a few. In this list actually there is many whom consider themselves to be apart of of the LGBTQ community such as Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Langston Hughes, Bessie Smith and Lucille Bogan. The African American Women of the Harlem Renaissance fought homophobia and heteronormativity by sharing their thoughts and feelings through their lyrics, about being bisexual, gay or lesbian.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Harlem Renaissance was a literary movement, and an artistic movement too. This very important part of history will always be around for people to learn about for a long time. Now the next time someone needs to think about an amazing research or essay topic try this out for…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Harlem Renaissance was a wonderful allotment of advancement for the black poets and writers of the 1920s and early ‘30s. I see the Harlem Renaissance as a time where people gather together and express their work throughout the world for everyone to see the brilliance and talent the black descendants harness.…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays