Marian Anderson: The Famous Firsts Of The World

Many people of the past and present make important changes to our society. These changes go down in history and are remembered for generations. These people are commemorated with the title of famous Firsts. For instance, Marian Anderson was the first African American singer ever to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. Marian was a strong woman who fought for her dreams of performing and persevered through the harsh racial discrimination that many African Americans had to face. Marian devoted her life to singing and making her dreams come true. She went through her life with hard work and determination. When life blocked her with racism and discrimination she pulled herself through, and that is why she deserves the notoriety she was rewarded with. The Famous Firsts of the world, like Marian, are commemorated by their bravery, skills, perseverance and intelligence.

When she was a young child, Marian joined her local church choir, which led her to her long singing career. Unfortunately Marian’s family suffered a tragedy when her father had died, and as a result Marian had to help her mother support her family. She was sent to a school with a good music education and was on her way to success, but Marian wanted more. Marian decided that she wanted to go to a specialized music school but, when she applied to the schools she was hit with racial remarks such as “We don’t take colored” stated by a school clerk”(Harris). Marian’s response was a shocked and dismayed comment. Marian stated, “It was my first contact with the blunt, brutal words. This school of music was the last place I expected to hear them. True enough, my skin was different, but not my feelings (Harris). Marian believed that her voice was skin