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The Voice That Challenged A Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman is a 2005 Newbery Honor book.  This is one of those times where I am resorting to the jacket flap because I keep thinking how I could rewrite it in my own words and then I realize I should just give up and go with it.

The publisher synopsis:

Marian Anderson loved to sing.  Her deep, rich voice thrilled audiences the world over.  By the mid-1930s she was a famed vocalist who had been applauded by European royalty, welcomed at the White House, and adored by appreciative listeners in concert halls across the United States.  But because of her race, she was denied the right to sing at Constitution Hall, Washington’s largest and finest auditorium.

Though Marian Anderson was not a crusader or a spokesperson by nature, her response to this injustice catapulted her into the center of the civil rights movement of the time.  She came to stand for all black artists   and for all Americans of color – when, with the help of prominent figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, she gave a landmark performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that broke racial barriers and hastened the end of segregation in the arts.

Drawing on Anderson’s own writings and other first-person accounts, Newbery medalist Russell Freedman shows readers a singer pursuing her art in the context of the social and political climate of the day.  Profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs, here is an inspiring account of the life of a talented, determined artist who left her mark on musical and social history.

Now, I know ZERO about music.  When I was in elementary school my dance teacher told me to lip synch the words to a song we were singing.  My confidence was thrown out the window at that very moment.  I seriously CAN NOT carry a tune.  I don’t understand notes, octaves, etc, etc, etc (because those are the only two words I can even think of!).  I really do sound awful.  I like to listen to music, I’m a fan, but because I don’t go out of my way to learn about music, I had never even heard of Marian Anderson before.  Reading The Voice That Challenged a Nation was learning something completely new to me.

And I learned a lot!  Although, I must admit, Marian Anderson is a contralto and I went the whole book wishing there was an explanation of what a contralto actually is.  According to Wikipedia, a contralto is “a type of classical female singing voice with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano.”  Still no clue what that’s supposed to mean but it goes on to say “the term is used to refer to the deepest female singing voice.”  Okay, that I can latch onto.

Marian Anderson was beautiful!  And she had a beautiful voice.  Her community was especially supportive in raising funds for her education and her career.  I was particularly struck with the fact that she literally traveled all over the world to many foreign countries and sung in prestigious halls and for heads of countries.  But it was in her own country, the United States, that she was denied the privileges that should have been afforded her.  Barred from music halls, singing in front of segregated audiences, and traveling through the deep south catapulted Anderson to a postion that she never thought she would be in and that was to make a difference in the civil rights movement.  By her example and actions, she led the way for all the artists who would come behind her.

The Voice That Challenged a Nation was well laid out,  had great photos, and great stories.   I enjoyed learning Marian’s story and was grateful that I took the time out to do so.  I only wished that the pages of the book would sing to me!  Highly recommended.

Marian Anderson singing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in response to being denied entrance at Constitution Hall:

A book well worth checking out.

Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights is part of my themed reading for the month of February which celebrates Black History Month.  Join me this month as I explore books that celebrate the history of African-Americans.  Also reviewed this month: Letters from a Slave Girl, The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons, The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox,  Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grime, The Well by Mildred D. Taylor,  Freedom Walkers, The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman, Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges and  Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson.  Other reviews of interest:  A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg, Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Links of interest:  Visit the Marian Anderson Historical Society.  More book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Juvenile Non-fiction, approx age 9-12 (although this adult loved it).
Publisher:  Clarion Books.  May 25, 2004.
Hardcover, 128 pages.  ISBN:  0618159762
The Voice that Challenged a Nation is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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