"Before Woodstock, before Jay-Z's Made In America, there was an open outdoor concert to beat them all," said Jillian Pirtle, CEO of the National Marian Anderson Museum, which is located inside of Anderson's former home in South Philadelphia.
Roosevelt helped secure the Lincoln Memorial as a public venue for Anderson's performance and lobbied radio networks to broadcast it. On April 9, 1939, Anderson's Washington performance became a reality. As many as 75,000 people stood outside to witness the barrier-breaking performance.
On Easter Sunday this year, Marian Anderson scholars will sing at the African American History and Culture Showcase at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
More information is available online.