The figure of the late singer and Civil Rights figure would be the first free-standing statue of a Black women in the City of Philadelphia’s history
“A voice like hers comes along once in a hundred years.”– Arturo Toscanini
On August 26, leaders in Philadelphia gathered outside the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Grand Old Lady of Locust Street, the Academy of Music, in support of a statue to famed opera singer, Civil Rights icon, and beloved Philadelphian – Marian Anderson. The statue would stand at the corner of Broad and Locust, right outside the historic building where Anderson performed several times.
The announcement event on Thursday afternoon featured speeches of support from opera’s Denyce Graves, City of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, The Philadelphia Orchestra President & CEO Matias Tarnopolsky, Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, and CEO of the Marian Anderson Historical Society and Museum Jillian Patricia Pirtle, all hosted by Cherri Gregg from WHYY.
Don’t know who Marian Anderson was? A storied contralto opera singer born in South Philadelphia, Anderson became the voice of a generation, performing around the world to critical acclaim during her illustrious career. In 1939, Ms. Anderson was at the heart of an historic moment when she was told that she was not allowed to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. because she was a Black woman. With the aid of Walter White of the NAACP and First Lady at the time Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson instead performed for an audience of over 75,000 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Her stirring rendition of “My Country Tis Of Thee”, along with a mix of American Spirituals and classical repertoire, was heard across the nation on the radio for Easter Sunday.
When erected, the statue would be the first free-standing sculpture of a historic Black woman in the city’s history. The push for a statue honoring Anderson in front of the Academy was amplified by a Philadelphia Inquirer article written by Peter Dobrin in late 2020. Of the $1.4 million goal, approximately $300,000 has been collected thus far. Donors wishing to give money to the Marian Anderson sculpture project may do so via the Philadelphia Foundation at philafound.org.
See below for photos from the event!
Opera singer Denyce Graves
City of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney
Cherri Gregg of WHYY
President & CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra Matias Tarnolposky
Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson
CEO of the Marian Anderson Historical Society and Museum Jillian Patricia Pirtle
Featured musician
City Representative, Sheila Hess
Dianne Semingson, co-chair of Vision Forward, posing with President & CEO of the Kimmel Cultural Campus Anne Ewers
Cherri Gregg poses with Matias Tarnolposky for a quick selfie
Photos by Morgan Horell