WHAT I HAD WAS SINGING

The African-American whose career precipitated several watershed events in the civil rights movement is eloquently portrayed in a Trailblazer biography. The first to appear for young people since the singer's death, it updates and corrects such older books as Ann Tedards's Marian Anderson (1988) with a recently discovered birth date (1897, not 1903) and a more accurate description of the opening moments of the famous Lincoln Memorial concert on Easter Sunday, 1939. With many anecdotes from the singer's own recollections, meticulously researched, and told in moving but unsentimental prose, the narrative is augmented by high-quality, captioned photos. The pain of prejudice and disgrace of Jim Crow laws are contrasted with the tolerance Anderson experienced on two visits to Europe. Personal defeats, particularly a disastrous Town Hall concert in NYC early in her career, are described in the context of their importance to her character development and stand as an inspiration to readers. Notes; bibliography; index. (Biography. 9-11)