Marian Anderson's 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert

On April 9, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial after the Daughters of the American Revolution denied her use of Constitution Hall due to her race. The open-air concert, organized with support from Eleanor Roosevelt and others, drew an estimated 75,000 listeners and became a landmark moment in the struggle against racial discrimination in public accommodations. The event is documented as an important cultural and civil rights moment in Washington, D.C.