Throughout the 1920s, Marian Anderson awed concertgoers across America, earning the honor of being named “one of the greatest singers of all time” by the New York Times. In the early 1930s, she toured the capital cities of Europe and left royalty and citi- zens dazzled. The London Daily Mail gushed about her genius, her creativity, and her beautiful voice. In Russia, in the mid-1930s, sold-out audiences rushed down the aisles and enthusiastically pounded her stage in delight. In 1936, she was invited to the White House to entertain the guests at a dinner party hosted by President Roosevelt and the First Lady. But one evening in 1937, despite her fame as a world-famous entertainer, when it came time to check in to an inn in Princeton, New Jersey, Marian was turned away because she was Black. Fortunately, Princeton’s most famous resident heard of the refusal and offered Marian a room for the night. This helpful gentleman would remain a close friend of hers for the rest of his life. His name was Albert Einstein.
Marian grew up in a musical home in Philadelphia. Her parents loved singing and taught their children American and religious songs and African-American spirituals that told stories of their ancestry.
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