This sound recording captures African-American contralto Marian Anderson's performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. This free open-air Easter Sunday concert was organized after Anderson was denied permission to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The recording also features an introductory speech by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes, in which he decried prejudice in the United States. You can also listen to this
in our main National Archives online catalog.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior.
National Archives Identifier:
1729137Full Citation: Sound Recording 48.223; Marian Anderson Performs on the Steps of the Lincoln Memorial: With an Introduction by Harold Ickes; 4/9/1939; Sound Recordings Relating to Conservation, ca. 1939 - 1946; Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Record Group 48; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/marian-anderson-lincoln-memorial, April 28, 2024]