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

Freedman, Russell. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. New York: Clarion Books, 2004. ISBN 0-618-15976-2

Plot

The Voice that Challenged a Nation is a biography of renowned singer Marian Anderson. The book details the near 100 years of Anderson’s life. Marian was born in South Philadelphia in 1897, and she started singing in her church choir when she was as young as six years old. As she grew older she continued to sing, and she gained more and more recognition for her amazing voice. Marian Anderson, a black woman, faced discrimination and racism as she applied to schools and traveled the country giving concerts. She never let that stop her from pursuing what she loved and what she was so talented at, however, and she continued to study music and perform in the United States as well as in Europe, where she gained fame and appeared before royalty. According to Anderson herself, she disliked confrontation and didn’t strive to speak out, but she became a civil rights icon in an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where she sang for 75,000 people and helped pave the way for other black musicians and performers.

Analysis

Russell Freedman, a Newbery Medalist, grabs readers’ attention from the first pages with a snapshot of the historic Lincoln Memorial performance before going back in time and describing Anderson’s life and career chronologically from her birth. Freedman relied on Anderson’s writings and on first-person accounts to give us an engaging and awe-inspiring biography on an amazing woman. Detailed photographs and direct quotes are present on almost every page throughout the book, providing further interest and insight into the lives and thoughts of Marian Anderson and those around her. Back matter includes picture credits, quote citations, a selected bibliography, and a discography providing interested readers resources for listening to Anderson sing. Additionally, an index allows readers to look up specific events and persons. A table of contents at the beginning also helps readers find specific chapters of Anderson’s life, but the captivating biography begs to be read straight through. Readers will enjoy getting to better know Marian Anderson, from beginning to end.

Awards and Recognitions

The Voice that Challenged a Nation received the 2005 Sibert Medal and a 2005 Newbery Honor, as well as many positive and starred reviews.

“Perhaps most poignant is Freedman's re-creation of Anderson's 1939 performance before 75,000 fans at the Lincoln Memorial, a concert precipitated by the DAR's refusal to allow a black singer to appear at its Constitutional Hall […] An engrossing biography.”—Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Anderson never saw herself as an activist […] and Freedman never treats her as a symbol. He 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.”—Kirkus Starred Review

“This superbly written book not only tells the story of Marian Anderson’s life but it also shows readers the unique relationship that Marian had with music and the courage and beauty of her proud spirit. […] Readers are given a portrait of a graceful and supremely gifted woman who overcame enormous difficulties to show the world that a person of color could indeed be a star and an advocate for her people.”—Marya Jansen-Gruber, Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews

Connections

To round-out the experience, listen to Marian Anderson’s music as found in the discography and watch her Lincoln Memorial performance (a portion of it can be viewed here https://youtu.be/mAONYTMf2pk).

Try pairing this with other books about Anderson’s life, such as her autobiography My Lord, What a Morning or the picture book When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick.

Also consider reading other books about musicians and civil rights activists, such as:

• The Legendary Miss Lena Horne, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
• Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Ekua Holmes
• Martin & Mahalia: His words, Her song, written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney
• A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Raul Colon
• Who Is Stevie Wonder? written by Jim Gigliotti
• Who Was Rosa Parks? written by Yona Zeldis McDonough

*This review was written for a youth literature class through Texas Woman’s University.