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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 2005)
-W B lack H istory M onth F e b ru a ry 9, 2 0 0 5 Page A S Black History Month Marion Anderson Rose in Stature in Europe Marian Ander son was consid ered one of the greatest singers in U.S. history. Escaped constraints of black life in America enabling her to deepen her under standing o f the languages she sang, to m ake professional connections, and to escape m any o f the co n straints o f black life in A m erica. A fter A m e ri can producer Sol H u ro k h ea rd A nderson sing in Paris, he began to M arian A nderson w as bom Feb. represent her in 27,1897, in Philadelphia. Recogniz the U nited States, ing her talent for m usic and her w here his b u si need to study with professional ness practices e f teachers, m em bers o f her com m u f e c tiv e ly m a d e nity raised funds for her musical her the equal o f training. w hite concert art In that era, A m erican classical ists. O n Dec. 30, m usicians rose in professional stat 1 9 3 5 , h e p r e ure at hom e by studying and per sented A nderson at Tow n H all in form ing in Europe. A nderson made N ew York. The concert w as a grand her first jo u rn ey to Europe in late success and a N ew York T im es O ctober o f 1927. In 1930, she was critic hailed A nderson as “one o f aw arded a fellow ship that allow ed the great singers o f our tim e.” her to study in Berlin. H er tim e A w are o f A nderson’s grow ing abroad w as im m ensely im portant re p u ta tio n . P re sid e n t F ra n k lin to herem otional and artistic growth. D elano Roosevelt invited her to sing for guests at a W hite H ouse d in n e rp a rty in 1936. A nderson becam e the first black singer to ap p ear on the stage o f N ew Y o rk ’s M etropolitan O pera w hen in January 1955 she sang the role o f the sorceress Ulrica in V erdi’s “Un B a llo in M aschere.” The follow ing year, she published a successful auto biography, “My L o rd , W h a t a M o rn in g .” As she neared the tw ilight o f her m usical career, A nderson becam e m ore active in politics. She perform ed at an inau gural ceremony for President Dw ight D. E isenhow er’s second term and for the inauguration o f President John F. Kennedy. The State D epart ment nam ed her a goodw ill am bas President Franklin Delano Roosevelt invited her to sing for guests at a White House dinner party in 1936. g sador to Asia; in 1958, she was ap pointed a delegate to the 13th ses sion o f the United Nations. At the historic M arch on W ash ington for Jobs and Freedom in A ugust 1963, A nderson again sang at the Lincoln Memorial. The follow ing D ecem ber, she was aw arded the Presidential M edal o f Freedom . A nderson won the U nited N a tions Peace Prize in 1977, and her 75th birthday was m arked by a gala concert at Carnegie Hall, w here she received N ew York C ity ’s H andel M edallion and a congressional reso lution o f congratulations delivered by First Lady Rosalyn Carter. M any more honors were bestow ed upon A nderson including the E leanor Roosevelt H um an Rights A w ard, and in 1991, she received a G ram m y Award for Lifetim e A chievem ent. A nderson died April 8, 1993, in Portland, w here she had m oved to be with her nephew Jam es De Priest, Oregon Sym phony C onductor L au reate. New Stamp Honors Famed Opera Singer Pioneering Banker Dies He later graduated from the P ort land School o f M usic and obtained State Bank was to offer o pportu a real estate license in 1964. Booker nities for m inorities to w ork and w as also a m em ber o f the M oose obtain financing in the banking Lodge in C am as, W ash. industry, som ething that w asn ’t Beyond his w orkaholic nature, com m on in the 1970s. He believed B ooker w as an avid fan o f disco in tra d itio n a l b u sin e ss e th ic , dancing with his w ife on Saturday where each client was treated with nights. the utm ost im portance and es Booker is survived by his w ife, teem. B ooker ran A m erican State Susan; m other-in-law Lily; three Bank for 32 years, w hen he sold daughters, Amy, April and Cheryl; his assets to A lbina C om m unity one son M ichael; daughter-in-law , Bank in 2000. Rose and sons-in-law Ehrin and Before his banking career, he John. A memorial service was held served in W orld W ar II w ith the on Feb. 4 in the G atew ay C hapel o f U.S. Army in England and France. the Chim es. con tin u ed fro m F ront T he U.S. Postal Service c e l attention on her, particularly her ebrates Black History M onth with artistry,” he said. the M arian A nderson stam p, the D eP reist lik en ed A n d e rso n ’s 28th in the Black H eritage co m success to that o f Jackie Robinson, m em orative stam p series. the first black m ajor league baseball Fam ed for her contralto voice, player. A nderson was honored during first- “ W hen h isto ry co llid es w ith day-of-issue cerem onies in DAR w hat you ju st w ant to do, your C onstitution Hall, the W ashington career, then w hat happens depends venue w here the singer w as once on how m uch grace resides within denied a chance to perform because you,” he said. “It w as the com bina o f her skin color. tion o f talent and grace that en Form er Oregon Sym phony C on abled both Jackie and, in the case o f ductor Jam es DePreist, A nderson’s my aunt, not only to be able to nephew attended the cerem ony. handle obstacles, but to be able to "T here is no one m ore richly handle them in such a w ay they deserving o f such an honor,” corn- becam e inspirations. men ted De Pre i st, c u rre nt 1 y d i rector "The pow er o f my aunt resided o f c o n d u c tin g at T h e Ju llia rd in the pow er o f her art," D ePreist School in N ew York. concluded. “ I hope that it will give an oppor The initial snub at C onstitutional tunity for there to be a focus o f Hall in 1939caused first lady Eleanor Lean Ground Beef Visit Safeway's Web site at www.safeway.com Available at Safeway: I W ESTERN U N IO N 13 14 P<n Ff‘»'ïi*» Items 16-oz. container. Serve at room temperature to bring out their best flavor. SAVE up to $ 3 .9 9 on 2 BUY ONE GET ONE BUY ONE GET ONE OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE FREE OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE Safeway Club Price Safeway Club Price i Wed Thur Fri Sat 9 io 11 12 15 AHwd« t> ter Febn ■»-> 9 thru Tunda* M rjir> ’S ?00S A prices wv om en am 80% 20% Fat 3-b. Chub SAVI up to $7.99 on ) I k . Fresh Strawberries FREE MONEY TRANSFER FEBRI UARY 2005 lue Valu Pack. 80% Lean. 20% Fat. SAVE up to $2.99 on 2 lbs. ■ Cook.. Internally price : S EFFECTIVE Sun Mon Marian Anderson, illustrated in this new U.S. Postal stamp, was James DePreist's aunt. Roosevelt to resign from the D augh ters o f the A m erican R evolution and to arrange fo r A nderson to perform before thousands at the Lincoln M em orial. In later years A nderson d id per form at the venue, including a 1942 concert to aid W orld W ar II relief efforts, and she began her farew ell tour there in 1964. The 37-cent stam p show s an oil painting o f A nderson by A lbert Slark o f A jax, O ntario, C anada, based on a black-and-w hite photo graph believed to have been m ade by M oise Benkow in Stockholm in the mid-1930s. Deputy Postm aster General John M. N olan called the stam p "a po w erful rem inder o f her unprecedented contribution to m usic and to her great sacrifice for ju stice .” in thia ad are available at your local Safew ay stores N o sales to dealers, restaurants or institutions Sales in retail quantities only Quantities of som e items may be limited and subject to availability Not responsible for typographical or pictorial errors W e reserve the right to correct all printed errors O n Buy O ne G et O ne Free (“B O G O ") offers, customer must purchase the first item to receive the second item free Lucerne Large Eggs Tide Laundry Detergent Dozen. Grade AA 81 to 87-oz. Powder O r 100-oz Liquid. Selected varieties. 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