PBS Tribute to Marian Anderson Was No Tribute

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January 7, 1991 THE NEW FEDERALIST Page 13

PBS Tribute to Marian Anderson Was No Tribute

by Marianna Wertz

Marian Anderson waged a decades-long struggle to overcome racial barriers

that prevented her rom doing anything but singing Negro spirituals!

The recent Pub!c "r#a$ca%t!ng Sy%te& '(reat Per)#r&ance%' *re%entat!#n,#%ten%!by a tr!bute t# the great A)r!can+A&er!can %!nger ar!an An$er%#n

#n her --th b!rth$ay, .a%, /u!te un)#rtunatey, a rac!%t %a* !n her )ace0 The

9+&!nute Negr# %*!r!tua e2traagan4a, c#n$ucte$ by Ja&e% Le!ne an$

*er)#r&e$ by Je%%ye N#r&an an$ 5atheen "atte, g#r!)!e$ the &!%ery an$

h#rr#r #) bac6 %aery an$ !t% c#nc#&!tant &u%!c #) $eath, .h!e c#&*etey

!gn#r!ng the rea %trugge #) ar!an An$er%#n, t# u*!)t bac6 A&er!can% t#

true an$ e/ua c!t!4en%h!* !n th!% nat!#n0

ar!an An$er%#n her%e) #*ene$ the nat!#nay tee!%e$ br#a$ca%t !n a

ca&e# a**earance0 A)ter a )e. br!e) .#r$% ab#ut the !&*#rtance #) hear!ng)r#& %#*ran#% N#r&an an$ "atte, c!*% .ere *aye$ #) !%% An$er%#n

%!ng!ng Negr# %*!r!tua% !n her .#n$er)u $ee* c#ntrat# #!ce0

A 19-- b##6 #n ar!an An$er%#n, *ub!%he$ !n the A&er!can W#&en #)

Ach!ee&ent %er!e% by he%ea H#u%e Pub!%her% an$ $!%tr!bute$ by The

Learn!ng enter, 8A S!er S*r!ng, $0:, g!e% a ery &#!ng acc#unt #)



!%% An$er%#n;% $eca$e%+#ng %trugge t# #erc#&e rac!a barr!er% that

*reente$ her )r#& $#!ng anyth!ng but %!ng!ng Negr# %*!r!tua%< Her great+

e%t $rea&=t# %!ng #*era=.a% #ny rea!4e$ a)ter %he .a% > year% #$, an$

.a% the re%ut #) .hat .a% !rtuay a Sec#n$ A&er!can Re#ut!#n, )#ught

t# br!ng th!% '#!ce #) the A&er!can %#u' !nt# greater *ub!c *r#&!nence0

"epublican #uality

A b!t #) !%% An$er%#n;% h!%t#ry, rec#unte$ !n the he%ea H#u%e b!#gra*hy,

en$% an !&*#rtant !n%!ght !nt# the re*ub!can /ua!ty #) her &!n$0 An$er+

%#n;% )a#r!te c#&*#%er .a% Fran4 Schubert, .h#%e 'Ae ar!a' .a% a

)eature$ *art #) her re*ert#!re0 She #e$ (er&an lieder, but 6ne. n#

(er&an, an$ thu% !n the beg!nn!ng #) her career, c#u$ #ny earn the yr!c%

%yabe by %yabe0 She there)#re $eter&!ne$ that %he had t# g# t# (er+

&any0 Th!% .a% !n 1931=har$y a *r#*!t!#u% t!&e )#r a %!nge A&er!can

.#&an t# %a! t# (er&any=e%*ec!ay a bac6 .#&an0 "ut %a! %he $!$0

In (er&any, %he arrange$ t# %tu$y .!th !chae Rauche!%en, the !n$!!$ua

*erha*% &#%t re%*#n%!be )#r %a!ng the *er)#r&ance #) (er&an !e$er )r#&

the raage% #) H!ter;% Ne. Age0 She .a% .ar&y rece!e$ thr#ugh#ut

Eur#*e, !ncu$!ng by c#n$uct#r Artur# T#%can!n!, .h# cae$ An$er%#n;% 'a

#!ce #ne hear% #nce !n a hun$re$ year%0'

?n her return t# the @0S0 !n 193>, An$er%#n $ec!$e$ t# br!ng .!th her the

F!nn!%h *!an!%t 5#%t! ehanen, .h#%e acc#&*an!&ent %he ha$ gr#.n t#

#e, an$ .h#%e 6n#.e$ge #) (er&an !e$er greaty a!$e$ her *er)#r&ance0Een An$er%#n;% &#ther #bBecte$ t# th!%, becau%e ehanen .a% .h!te<

'There ha% neer been #ne #) #ur race t# atta!n %uch he!ght%, t# be %# h!ghy

acca!&e$ an$ %# un!er%ay be#e$ a% y#ur%e),' her &#ther .r#te, '%# I

*ray that y#u &ay n#t thr#. a ban6et #er a y#u hae $#ne by br!ng!ng

#ne #) an#ther race t# .#r6 .!th y#u0'

An$er%#n $ec!$e$ aga!n%t her &#ther;% .!%he%0 'I 6ne. !n &y heart,' %he

.r#te, 'that the r!ght $ec!%!#n .#u$ be the #ne ta6en #n &u%!ca gr#un$%0'

Brea$ing "acial Barriers

Such $ec!%!#n% character!4e$ her career, an$ .ere !n )act argey re%*#n%!be

)#r her ab!!ty t# brea6 thr#ugh rac!a barr!er% that ha$ %ty&!e$ th#u%an$%

be)#re her0 In 19CC %he .a% !n!te$ t# %!ng )#r %er!ce&en, t# ra!%e &#ney

)#r .ar b#n$%0 She .a% a$!%e$, h#.eer, t# !&!t her &!!tary c#ncert% t#

'%!&*e &u%!c0' She %ang her ent!re re*ert#!re !n%tea$0 '?ne $!$ n#t hae t#



%!ng $#.n t# the%e &en,' %he .r#te0 '?ne c#u$ %!ng the th!ng% #ne %ang

reguary, an$ they %ee&e$ t# be $e!ghte$0'

A )unny %t#ry, reate$ t# th!%, !% rec#unte$ #) !%% An$er%#n;% c#ncert !n the

5re&!n !n 1930 There %he .a% t#$ n#t t# %!ng any %acre$ %#ng%=Negr#

%*!r!tua% #r 'Ae ar!a0' @n$er the rue #) Sta!n, re!g!#u% %!ng!ng .a% banne$0 The au$!ence *ac6e$ the ha0 A% u%ua, !gn#r!ng the #))!c!a ban,

%he %ang her ent!re re*ert#!re0 The au$!ence .ent .!$, $e&an$!ng enc#re

a)ter enc#re, *art!cuary #) the Negr# %*!r!tua% an$ 'Ae ar!a0' A% !t ater

turne$ #ut, J#%e*h Sta!n h!&%e) .a% !n atten$ance at the c#ncert, %!tt!ng !n

a curta!ne$+#)) b#2 %# a% n#t t# be %een by the au$!ence0

?ny a *er%#n .!th th!% republican /ua!ty #) %#u c#u$ hae %ung t# an

au$!ence #) 7>, at the L!nc#n e&#r!a #n Ea%ter Sun$ay !n 1939, an$

&#e$ the ent!re au$!ence t# tear%0 That *r#gra&, t##, !ncu$e$ Schubert;%

'Ae ar!a,' a% .e a% the 'Star+S*ange$ "anner0'

I% th!% !)e t# be c#&&e&#rate$ &erey by Negr# %*!r!tua% "y the!r nature,

Negr# %*!r!tua% are c#ncerne$ .!th the hu&an $ea%tat!#n that .a% Negr#

%aery0 The )act that the #!ce% #) Je%%ye N#r&an an$ 5atheen "atte

c#u$ turn any %!&*e )#6 tune !nt# g#r!#u% be cant#, $#e% n#t &a6e the

)#6 tune #ther than a )#6 tune0 A)ter 9 &!nute% #) Negr# %*!r!tua%, the

!%tener !% e!ther b#re$ t# tear% #r %# angry that he !% ren$ere$ te&*#rar!y:

!nca*abe #) a**rec!at!ng beauty0

?ne .#u$ th!n6 that %uch great #*era ceebr!t!e% a% 5atheen "atte an$Je%%ye N#r&an .#u$ th!n6 t.!ce ab#ut h#. the!r #.n career% .ere

aunche$0 It .a% !n )act ar!an An$er%#n .h# .a% re%*#n%!be )#r the!r

be!ng #*era ceebr!t!e%0 At age >3, !n 19>>, ar!an An$er%#n beca&e the

)!r%t bac6 A&er!can t# %!ng !n an #*era #n a &aB#r A&er!can %tage0 Her r#e

.a% a% @r!ca, an #$ %#rcere%%, !n er$!;% The Masked Ball 0 Her *er)#r+

&ance an$ her &ere *re%ence br#ught $#.n the h#u%e0 Neer aga!n .#u$

A)r!can+A&er!can% be 6e*t #)) the %tage0

The *r#$ucer% #) (reat Per)#r&ance% %h#u$ a%# a%6 the&%ee% .hy

ar!an An$er%#n #e$ Schubert;% 'Ae ar!a,' an$ .hy %he %tr#e %# har$

t# &a%ter the anguage% a%# French an$ Ita!an: that .#u$ a#. her t# r!%e

ab#e the Negr# %*!r!tua0 I% !t n#t !nherent !n the hu&an %*!r!t=be !t !n%!$e

a bac6, .h!te, br#.n, re$, #r ye#. *er%#n=t# %ee6 t# overcome that

*reBu$!ceG

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PBS Tribute to Marian Anderson Was No Tribute