Voice of Freedom

"Turbulent Times Turned an Artist into a Hero"

On Easter Sunday, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson stepped up to a microphone in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Inscribed on the walls of the monument behind her were the words “all men are created equal.” Barred from performing in Constitution Hall because of her race, Anderson would sing for the American people in the open air. Hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe and widely celebrated by both white and black audiences at home, her fame hadn’t been enough to spare her from the indignities and outright violence of racism and segregation.

Director: Rob Rapley

Cast

Marian Anderson

Self (archive footage)

Renée Elise Goldsberry

Narrator (voice)

A

Allida M. Black

herself

A

Angela Brown

herself

L

Lucy Caplan

herself

A

Alisha Lola Jones

herself

A

Adriane Lentz-Smith

herself

C

Carol Oja

herself