Marian Anderson's Easter Concert 9 - 1939

Thomas D. McAvoy created this photograph of Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial, using a gelatin silver print. The image is powerful because it encapsulates a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. It’s important to remember that this concert, held in 1939 in Washington D.C., only took place because the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Anderson, an African American, the right to sing at their Constitution Hall. This act of racial discrimination sparked public outrage. Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the D.A.R. in protest, and the concert was arranged by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The performance became a symbol of resistance against racial prejudice. Note how the microphones emphasize the media attention and public importance of the event. Understanding the historical and institutional context of events such as these, as well as the public reaction to them, can help us understand the meaning of the photograph today.