The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Freedman, Russell.  2004.  THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION: MARIAN ANDERSON AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS.  New York: Houghton Mifflin.  ISBN  06181599762

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Russell Freedman's biography presents the life of Marian Anderson, an African American contralto vocalist whose love and talent for singing played a significant role during the early days of the United States' civil rights movement.  He traces her early beginnings, when she sang with the family's church choir and at small music halls and auditoriums to support her family and her music education.  As critics took notice, she began to travel around the nation, but prejudice often barred her from traveling and performing at larger concert halls, particularly in the South.  After moving to Europe to study with the world's best vocalist coaches and achieving international fame, she returned home to share her love of singing with the American people.  However, she was still barred from singing at prestigious venues, particularly at Constitution Hall, which had been declared a "white artists only" performance center by the Daughters of the American Revolution .  Instead, Marian Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd of over 75,000 people and changed the course of history.  This one act thrust the issue of prejudice and racism into the limelight and helped spur change in America.
 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This carefully researched and well-written biography reveals the life story of Marian Anderson, an individual who made a significant contribution to the civil rights movement, but is often overlooked in history books.  Freedman draws on newspaper and magazine interviews Anderson gave throughout her career; first-hand accounts of those who worked closely with her, such as her long-time accompanist, Kosti Vehanan; and even personal insights and reflections found in her  autobiography.  Personal quotes and cited dialogue help paint a portrait of a soft spoken, but courageous woman who experienced many adversities in her life, yet maintained strength and dignity through it all.   After agreeing to perform on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the "Freedom Concert," as it was now called, she said, "I could see my significance as an individual in this small affair.  I had become, whether I liked it or not, a symbol, representing my people.  I had to appear."  Each quote is thoroughly documented in the "Chapter Notes" section of the book.  The selected bibliography also affirms the careful research Russell undertook to develop Anderson's complete biography, citing scholarly articles, rare published interviews, and excerpts from Eleanor Roosevelt's syndicated newspaper column, My Day.  

 

The accuracy and credibility of the book is also verified by Russell Freedman's credentials and established reputation.  Prior to the release of this book in 2004, Freedman won the Newbery Medal for LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY in 1988 and had several Newbery Honor books, including ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY (1994) and THE WRIGHT BROTHERS:  HOW THEY INVENTED THE AIRPLANE (1992).  As Dr. Sylvia Vardell states in her book CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN ACTION: A LIBRARIAN'S GUIDE, "Russell Freedman is generally considered the master of well-researched and well-documented biographies for young people, setting a high standard for others who choose to frame meaningful and interesting biographies for the middle grades and above" (pg. 245).  Freedman's dedication to his craft is evident in his writing style, with meticulously written  sentences that flow easily, and present Marian Anderson's life in a story-like frame that keeps the audience's interest.  Readers can trust that the content within this  biography is factual, free of theory and inaccuracies, and written by a knowledgeable, well-respected author.

Black and white, contemporary photos beautifully complement the text, depicting several images of an elegantly dressed Marian Anderson performing before large crowds at the Paris Opera and Carnegie Hall.  Most notably is a photo that spans two pages and captures the sea of spectators that filled the National Mall for Anderson's "Freedom Concert." The immensity of the photo effectively reflects the monumental impact the event had in the civil rights movement.  Other photos serve to clue readers in on the rampant discrimination Anderson and other African Americans endured, particularly in the South.  These photos include a young boy waiting behind a sign that reads "Colored Taxicab Stand," a group of well dressed African Americans at a bus station's "colored waiting room," and a man walking into a movie theater that leads to the "colored only balcony."  These powerful photos not only personalize Marian Anderson's life for readers, but also highlight the type of prejudice and discrimination she experienced as she made her mark as an African American contralto vocalist. 

Freedman hooks his readers' interest from the onset of the book by detailing the excitement and anticipation felt in the air as the humongous crowd anxiously awaited for Marian Anderson to perform at the "Freedom Concert."  This serves to set the climax of her role in the civil rights movement which readers learn about in more detail as they delve deeper in the book.  He then goes on to describe the major events of Marian Anderson's life and career in chronological order, beginning with her birth in 1897 in a poverty-stricken area of Philadelphia and concluding with a touching description of her funeral in 1993.  A table of contents and an index serve as useful reference aids to help readers locate specific details, events, or individuals in her life.  Photos and text are neatly arranged throughout the book so as not to overwhelm the reader with too much information.  Appropriate line spacing makes for easier reading, while the carefully chosen photos add subtle details not mentioned in the text.  Photos of various shapes and sizes help to enhance the book's pages, with each one captioned with a concise description.  As an added bonus, Freedman includes images of  several concert programs which list Marian Anderson as the contralto soloist and include details of the arias and Negro spiritual songs she eloquently performed.  Readers in the middle and high school grades will truly enjoy reading about this sensational civil rights icon.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPTS

A Robert F. Sibert Medal Book

A Newbery Honor Book

An Orbis Pictus Honor Book

KIRKUS: "[Freedman] offers instead a fully realized portrait of a musical artist and her times. Well-chosen, well-placed archival photographs, clear writing, abundant research seamlessly woven into the text, and careful documentation make an outstanding, handsome biography. Freedman at his best."

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Copious quotes from Anderson's autobiography, papers and interviews allow her resonant voice—and personal grace—to animate these pages. Also included are abundant photos, newspaper clippings and reproductions of concert programs. An engrossing biography."

VOYA: " Freedman creates a masterful biography of Marian Anderson...The prose is sharp and clean with generous use of quotations. All quotes are rewritten and cited in the back as chapter notes, a choice that enhances the immediacy and clarity of the book."

5.  CONNECTIONS

Have students read other books about Marian Anderson:

Arsenault, Raymond.  THE SOUND OF FREEDOM: MARIAN ANDERSON, THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, AND THE CONCERT THAT AWAKENED AMERICA.  ISBN 1608190560

Ryan, Pam Munoz.  WHEN MARIAN SANG: THE TRUE RECITAL OF MARIAN ANDERSON, THE VOICE OF A CENTURY.  ISBN  1591129486

Sutcliffe, Jane.   MARIAN ANDERSON.  ISBN 082259000X

Incorporate this book, along with others, to celebrate Black History Month

Nelson, Kadir.  WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL.  ISBN  0786808322

Nelson, Kadir.  HEART AND SOUL: THE STORY OF AMERICA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS.  ISBN 0061730742

 

Let students hear  Marian Anderson sing in several of her concert performances.  Songs are available in the Community Audio public domain section of the Internet Archive: Digital Library and may be accessed at http://archive.org/details/MarianAnderson-01-05