Exhibit to Celebrate African American Voices

This February, in honor of African American History Month, the Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center will unveil a new permanent installation which explores the history and contributions of African Americans to music and classical performance. The rich, visual exhibit will be a part of the lobby displays at Horne Hall and will serve to broaden the scope of the exhibit center’s mission.

The contributions of African Americans to American music cannot be understated. Many Black singers and composers rose to international stardom yet were subject to discrimination and hostility at home. African American Voices will introduce many visitors to Black artists who are not household names, including soprano Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield who was born into slavery in Natchez, Mississippi in the early 19th century and who would go on to give a command performance for Queen Victoria. The exhibit will also revisit more well-known stories such as that of soprano Marian Anderson who sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt after being denied the opportunity to sing in Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1939.

The 20th-century will be the primary focus of this new installation with special attention given to Henry Lewis, Marilyn Horne’s husband and collaborator, along with the great masters of jazz such as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong. These international celebrities were in high demand around the world but were subject to segregation laws and discrimination in the United States. African American Voices will tell the story of the challenges and obstacles faced by these legendary artists and will shine light on those whose achievements were obscured by history.

More information about the exhibit will be available next month. 

Marian Anderson © Yousuf Karsh/http://karsh.org