Lincoln Memorial - Marian Anderson 1939 concert

On April 9, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson performed an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial after being denied permission to sing at DAR Constitution Hall because of her race. The concert drew an estimated 75,000 attendees and was broadcast nationally, becoming a landmark event in both American music and civil rights history. The performance is frequently cited in histories of music in Washington, D.C., and of racial justice in the arts.