Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson's majestic voice mesmerised the nation - but her courage in confronting racism was equally inspirational. "When I sing," she stated, "I want them to see my soul. And that is colourless." She became the first African-American to record with a major recording company, to perform as a soloist at the Philharmonic Society's Academy of Music and to appear on the stage of the exalted Metropolitan Opera House. In 1939, she was banned from singing in Washington's Constitution Hall and made history by performing for a crowd of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial. Victoria Garrett Jones tells this remarkable story, which travels from Philadelphia's poorest neighbourhood to the world's finest concert stages."Sterling Biographies" are packed with information and filled with unique images that include rare documentary photographs, artwork, maps and personal artefacts. Focusing on inventors and innovative thinkers, they present first-person accounts and dramatic events related in an intimate and accessible style.