Legendary and iconic. Two words that barely do justice to the memory of an amazing woman from Danbury, Connecticut.

Think back to the history lessons we learned about life in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Now think about being a woman during that period of time. Now think about being a black woman. I will add the word brave to legendary and iconic. Who am I speaking of?

Opera singer, Marian Anderson, who called Danbury home for almost 50 years, will be honored on what would be her 121st birthday, Feb.27. She died in 1993 at the age of 96. What an incredible life she led and what an incredible journey that life took her on.

WCSU will host a celebration of both her life and music with an event starting at 6 p.m. in the Veronica Hagman Concert Hall of the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the university's Westside campus, located at 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury.

Anderson is credited with breaking down barriers for blacks in the arts and motivating the early days of the civil rights movement with a 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Not only was Anderson the first black artist to perform at the White House in 1936, she was also the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.

You are invited to attend a community birthday party celebration for Marian Anderson and learn how to become a part of the initiative to name the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. For information, or to purchase tickets, go to wcsu.edu

Marian Anderson, a woman very special to the history of Danbury, and a woman that all of America can be proud of.

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