Concert singer Marian Anderson performs a free concert on this day in 1939 for thousands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Ms. Anderson had been denied the chance to perform at the Daughters of the American Constitution Hall because she was Black. She needed a special dispensation that was spearheaded by then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Paul Leroy Robeson, star athlete, concert singer, lawyer, screen and stage actor, human rights campaigner, professional football player, and a polyglot, was born on this day in 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey. He is arguably America’s greatest cultural icon.
On this day in 1950, Juanita Hall becomes the first African American woman to win a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Bloody Mary in the musical South Pacific.
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was enacted on this day in 1866 after it had been vetoed by President Andrew Johnson. It was not ratified until 1870.
Paule Marshall, born Valenza Pauline Burke, writer, novelist, professor, was born on this day in 1929. She won a MacArthur Genius grant in 1992 at the age of 63.
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