Historic Portrayal: Marian Anderson

PURCHASE PASS & PARKING

Debra Rose of Women In History will be presenting the inspiring story of Marian Anderson (1897 – 1993) on Wednesday, July 19th at 1:30 p.m. in Hoover Auditorium. Anderson is an international singer that triumphed over racial prejudice and became an inspiration for America’s civil rights movement. Born in 1897, the granddaughter of enslaved Americans, Anderson earned international acclaim in Europe by 1935.

Classical singer Marian Anderson was one of the all-time greats — both as an artist, and as a cultural figure who broke down racial barriers. She is best known for performing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, after she was denied permission to sing for an integrated audience at Washington’s DAR Constitution Hall. But she was much more than that — she helped shape American music. Anderson not only sang European classical music, but she presented spirituals as high art as well.  By performing spirituals in the concert hall, Anderson linked generations of listeners to Black American history.

Debra Rose is an accomplished singer, actress, speaker and writer.  Joining Women in History in early 2023, she loves the concept of combining her passion for history, research, writing and acting to bring characters to life in a way that makes them accessible to everyone. In this era of “information overload,” she believes presenting women’s stories in a live, intimate setting can be more valuable and thought-provoking for the audience, than hours spent googling.  She is drawn to characters who dared to pave their own way and use their God-given talents and abilities to leave a legacy of excellence, despite gender or race restrictions.

Rose holds bachelor’s degrees in both Music Performance, and Multimedia and Visual Communication.  She has toured with various bands, spent several seasons singing with Cleveland Opera Chorus, and portrayed many non-traditionally Black roles including Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music” and Miss Hannigan in “Annie” in community theater productions.  She is a costume designer, poet and has published several volumes of coloring books.  She currently resides in Oberlin, Ohio and has a cottage baking business specializing in cookies and cakes and teaches cookie decorating.