Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Voice That Challenged a Nation (LDG)
I was really impressed with the perseverance of Marian Anderson in the first few chapters of this book. It's also very disturbing how the North and South could be so different with the segregation of race. Another aspect that really impressed me was the fact that she shared all of her earnings with her family. It wasn't that she had to but she did so they could be a little more comfortable because of her. What do you think about that? Russell Freedman gives such vivid description of her voice and the conditions in which she had to travel during her tours in the South. I think she had to be a quite a strong person to handle all the challenges she faced after living in Philadelphia.
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3 comments:
I really enjoyed reading the first few chapters of this book. Marian Anderson is someone I know very little about, and I am looking forward to learning more about her. The segregation issues were very disturbing. It amazes me that a group of people such as the United States can have such different viewpoints on so many things. Slavery was one of these things. These first few chapters gave me a better understanding of the discrimination African American people faced. Russell Freedman did do a great job describing her voice, while reading the first few chapters I found myself wishing I could hear Marian Anderson sing. Another thing that really stood out to me was that the whole community pitched in to help Marian get voice lessons and anything else she needed. What a great support group she must have had. Her sharing of her earnings really impressed me too. I mean how many people today would give $4 to their family if they only made $5.
bI enjoyed reading the first three chapters of this book. Russell Freedmen does a wonderful job descrbing her early life, her beginnings as a singer, and her passionate love for singing. Reading these chapters made me want to hear her sing too. The Union Baptist Church and others really helped the start of her singing career by giving her money to go to school and for lessons. It was disturbing to read how different the North and South were in regards to segregation. It was difficult to read about her travels in the South and the conditions she faced. One that especially stood out to me was when she met Jim Crow laws for the first time on a train headed South. It was heart wrenching to hear her talk about how her own people reacted to the poor conditions of the car they were riding in. Some were embarrassed, and others accepted being inside a filthy car with smoke and soot coming in from the windows. It must have been so hard just to accept the reality of what was going on. I, too, was impressed with how she shared the money she earned singing with her family without even hesitating. She really loved her mother and didn`t want to see her family struggle. Marian Anderson was definitely facing any obstacles she came upon with a positive attitude and determination in order to keep singing.
One of the things that stood out to me was the way her church provided for her. It's almost as though this was a part of God's plan for her. It disturbed me when she could sing and put on a concert somewhere but couldn't get a hotel room because of her race. In fact, it really made me mad!
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