D98D6T Marian Anderson (1897-1993) African American contralto singing at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, Easter Sunday, 1939.
Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands
Explore the life and legacy of the famous singer who became an icon for the civil rights movement.
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Fred Vigeant
D98D6T Marian Anderson (1897-1993) African American contralto singing at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, Easter Sunday, 1939.
Watch a new episode of American Masters on WITF Tuesday, February 8 at 9pm on WITF.
American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands explores the life, career, art and legacy of the singer of classical music and spirituals.
Best known for her performance at the legendary Freedom Concert on April 9, 1939, Anderson, in a bold protest against racial intolerance, sang before a diverse crowd on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after being denied use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In that moment, Anderson—despite being a fiercely private person—transformed into a symbol for the nascent civil rights movement, even inspiring a 10-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr., who listened on the radio.
With unprecedented access to the Marian Anderson Estate, the documentary will draw on rare archival footage and audio recordings and Anderson’s extensive personal correspondence to family and friends, including Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. DuBois, Duke Ellington, Shirley Chisholm and Langston Hughes, to reveal the woman behind the icon.
Anchored by key performances in her career, American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands will show how her quiet genius and breathtaking voice set the stage for black performers in classical music, and a louder voice for civil rights.
Watch American Masters Tuesday, February 8 at 9pm on WITF. This program is also available for on-demand streaming through the PBS Video app.
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