"Born in Philadelphia in 1897, Marian Anderson revealed her prodigious talent at an early age. While still a child, she was singing for audiences in her hometown. Despite her astonishing musical gift, poverty and racial bigotry presented obstacles to her musical education and career.".

"In 1939, when the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Anderson the use of Constitution Hall on racial grounds, Eleanor Roosevelt's highly publicized resignation from the D.A.R. catapulted Anderson into national prominence as a symbol of the struggle for racial equality. The incident led to Anderson's historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial before a vast throng of 75,000 - a defining moment in American history."--BOOK JACKET.