Emile Henwood - Remembering a Great American Hero Marian Anderson: The Lady from Philadelphia

REMEMBERING A GREAT
AMERICAN HERO
MARIAN ANDERSON

THE LADY FROM PHILADELPHIA

EMILE HENWOOD

Copyright 2021 by Emile Henwood.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 11/17/2021

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Contents

Humility and generosity graciously harmonized in the remarkable life of Philadelphias musical daughter, Marian Anderson. Her moving life story, with its profound fruitfulness and sweeping impact, has nearly been forgotten. But thanks to the loving efforts of Emile Henwood, her melodious life sings again.

Henwood demonstrates that Marian Anderson was, as his title asserts, a great American Hero. Her life well modeled the benediction that flows from one who pursues excellence with a deep personal purpose. Indeed, she is an exemplar of a life well lived. The blessing of her life was not only a gift then but is needed now too in these times so marked by turmoil. People gravitated to Marian Anderson yesterday and will surely do so again today through this depiction of The Lady from Philadelphia.

Marian Andersons legacy is adorned by numerous accomplishments, countless admirers and a multitude of communities influenced by her trailblazing humanitarianism. This study captures and interconnects the multiple strands of her extraordinary life. Here, the ninety-six years of Marian Andersons sojourn and their abiding impact unfold through a chronological narrative amply illustrated by engaging photos. This format enables readers, educators, researchers and perhaps even future screen writers to discover the multiform contours of her life.

A woman of faith, Anderson believed that with God, all things are possible. Her trust in the Lords purposes for her life encouraged her to deploy her God-given talent of vocal genius with humility to overcome obstacles unimaginable today. Her talent extended beyond her musical prowess, as she displayed skills and interests as a fashion designer, seamstress, dark room photographer, farm gardener, cook, homemaker, furniture upholsterer, and lover of animals. Without children of her own, she steadfastly directed her love, attention, and generosity toward the welfare of the young.

In our fast-paced context it is often difficult to make reading a priority. Yet I am confident that I speak for the author when I assert that I hope you will return to this book often. It has been formatted and its contents compiled to enable most readers to complete a perusal in a sitting or two. The appendix offers twenty-three recommended titles for further research. And finally, be sure to visit the full-time epicenter of her curated collection The National Marian Anderson Historical Society and Residence Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Your visit there along with reading this engaging book by Emile Henwood will embed Marian Anderson in your heart bringing refreshing and uplifting music to your soul.

Dr. Peter A. Lillback,

President, Westminster Theological Seminary

President Emeritus, The Providence Forum

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a factual timeline compiled from many sources, a chronological commentary, with primary focus on significant events during and about the life of Marian E. Anderson (18971993).

In the fall of 2018, I had planned to attend the Marian Anderson Awards event that has been held annually at the Kimmel Center in my hometown of Philadelphia for the last twenty years. For reasons I cannot remember, I was curious and decided to attend. Unfortunately, that years event was cancelled.

In my youth, I remembered hearing the name Marian Anderson but really knew little more than that she was a singer whom my parents and especially my paternal grandparents were very fond of. I decided to do a quick search for her on the internet. To my amazement, I got dozens of hits and started drilling down. I found it awfully hard to believe that one person could have accomplished everything I found.

I discovered there is a National Marian Anderson Historical Society, which is headquartered in the Anderson familys home, which is now an official historic residence museumand the price of admission was only ten dollars with a personal tour guide! In March 2019, during my first visit, I was blown away by what I saw and learned about Marian Anderson.

This private Anderson family home-based museum is a repository of the largest collection of Marian Andersons personal belongings and memorabilia, as well as the epicenter for authentic historical information about her life and legacy. The museum offers close-up inspection of hundreds of artifacts: Marians beautiful performance gowns, clothing, accessories, tens of thousands of photographs, videos, recordings, jewelry, private pictures, and personal items, complete with lectures and guided tours (by appointment only). Visitors can discover how each artifact is connected to her lifes storyover the span of a centuryas a Philadelphian, as an artist and as an icon.

It took me a few more visits to begin to absorb what is there. In retrospect, this was just the tip of the iceberg. After each visit, I left with mixed feelings of awe, newfound respect, and embarrassment. How could I, having lived in Philadelphia for so longnot far from the very home Marian Anderson purchased in 1924, now a museum, in a neighborhood I went through frequentlyhave absolutely no idea that I was passing in the vicinity of such greatness? After reading Marian Andersons autobiography, my hunger to know more led me to discover more than twenty other biographies, from excellent books for schoolchildren to several well-researched works by distinguished scholars. It is from the latter academic group that I have primarily drawn to compile and condense the information presented in this book.

There is a massive amount of historical information available about Marian Anderson, beyond the twenty-plus biographies, in her extensive personal papers at the University of Pennsylvania Library, the National Marian Anderson Historical Residence and Museum, various PBS documentaries, the Smithsonian Institution, the internet, and undocumented verbal stories that have circulated in her hometown of Philadelphia for years.

Researching her ninety-six-year life was an exciting privilege, but time-consuming. Those who remember Marian Anderson as simply a great singer are missing 90 percent of what this trailblazing humanitarian really accomplished.

Readers of this condensed compilation can now more quickly realize, and learn to appreciate, the teachable lessons of Marian Andersons well-lived long lifepossibly in just one or two sittings, stimulating further future study of her from the above sources and the list of books included in the appendix.

It should be noted that from 1925 to 1965, Marian traveled extensively, performing solo concerts throughout the world, but Philadelphia was always in her heart and her true home base. A hallmark of her concerts was always a selection of negro spirituals that she had sung since the age of six in her churchs choir.

This timeline is enhanced by internet links such as https://www.vanwyckgazette.com/theater-1/marian-anderson-americas-great