Apr 18, 2021
How 5 Divas Challenged America’s Racism
Although white supremacy and anti-black racism are at the forefront of national discourse today, there should be no surprise that they’ve permeated the music industry for quite some time. Just like every other facet of life, gatekeeping has long stifled the growth and exposure of countless black musicians. Whether it be access(or lack thereof) to music programs, censorship, or targeted violence, we’ve heard a plethora of stories detailing the unequal treatment of black artists.
While being a woman in the music industry was a difficult enough task, racialized misogyny added more challenges. Despite the exponential roadblocks in their way, these women stood flat-footedly and reworked the fabric of American music.
Marian Anderson
By the time Marian Anderson gave her iconic performance at the Lincoln Memorial, she was already an international opera star. She was an established artist that was well respected abroad, however, she was unable to attain the same success in the United States. Her track record for spectacular performances and her accolades could do all but save her from the color of her own skin.
In 1939, Anderson attempted to hold a performance at the Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, but was rejected by the Daughters of the American Revolution- the organization that owned the building. This caused national outrage and even encouraged First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to withdraw her membership.
The ignoble act preceded a more gainful proposition that placed Anderson on a bigger stage. Roosevelt invited Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday to a crowd of over 70,000 listeners. While she was not the first black woman to achieve great success in music, she inspired hope for many young girls who aspired to pursue music careers.
Leontyne Price
Price quickly built a solid reputation for herself since her debut in the ’60s. The critically acclaimed soprano was booked and busy- both domestically and abroad. She followed the foot of her predecessor, Marian Anderson, and was appointed as a principle vocalist for The Metropolitan Opera. The opera singer was hand-selected to play many very tough roles, and consistently received praise for her compelling performances.
Just as much as she was praised for her interpretations of these roles, she faced backlash for portrayal of characters that were typically cast for white singers. Price was at the center of racist scrutiny and her dominance sparked national conversation about how gatekeepers shut out black vocalists.
Fearlessly, she headlined at segregated concert halls and continued to take on a swath of traditionally white characters. Her immense success put a spotlight on the range of black performers who had been typecast into very few major roles.
Ella Fitzgerald
Years before the aforementioned divas gave their landmark performances, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald gave her debut at the Apollo Theatre. At an Amateur Night in 1934, she rendered an impromptu cover of Connie Boswell’s ‘The Object of My Affection’. After winning that week’s contest, she swiftly established herself as a successful mainstream act.
Four years later, she released “A- Tisket, A- Tasket,” her very first hit single. She proved early on to be a force in the music industry; her warm voice and virtuosic musical abilities were accepted with open arms.
While her talents did not go unnoticed, her appearance was heavily criticized by industry professionals. Being a big black woman was deemed undesirable and was often cited as the main reason she was not invited to gigs at the most prestigious venues. Until Marilyn Monroe leveraged her influence as a major star in the form of ultimatums, Fitzgerald was not even allowed to enter through the front door at her own shows.
Despite the harsh condemnation of her image, Ella’s voice won her an enormous cult following. It was clear that she could outsing any of her contemporaries, and she accumulated numerous accolades in her decades-long career.
Billie Holiday
The story of Billie Holiday is arguably one of the most tragic in modern music history. She was introduced to the industry at a young age, and her life was marked by drug addiction and censorship. Unlike many cultural music icons, she had no training in music outside of following her mom around to gigs in New York.
She catapulted herself into stardom, quickly earning the respect and admiration of her peers. Her collaborations were particularly instrumental in making her a household name. However, her stirring renditions of ‘Strange Fruit’ ruffled the feathers of those who were ill-prepared to come to grips with America’s mistreatment of black bodies.
This career-defining selection captivated audiences across the nation, although it also became the catalyst for her demise. Like a plot out of a dated Netflix drama, she was under constant attack from the United States government, particularly Harry Anslinger. She was instructed to never perform the song again, and after defying his orders, her life and career plunged. She was baited with drugs which led to her arrest, her cabaret license was revoked, and she was handcuffed to her deathbed as she battled substance abuse-related complications.
There were many blatant attempts to silence Holiday, but her legacy echoes through the halls of music history. Her voice inspired protest and blazed a trail for modern soul singers to embrace every piece of their blackness without apology.
Nina Simone
Nina Simone was an artist in every sense of the word. Refusing to allow anyone to relegate her to a singular genre, she combined her formal classical training with her knowledge of her own ancestry to create an original and inimitable sound. She was denied acceptance into the Curtis Institute of Music despite being a trained pianist from the age of three.
She was outspoken in her political analyses and criticisms of society. Her stance on race was very clear, as evidenced by lyrics that did not mince words. In fact, quite a few of her original compositions were responses to racialized violence and injustice, and went on to become definitive protest songs of the Civil Rights era.
Such disregard for the white gaze made Simone both a national hero and an enemy of the State. Her radicalism transcended music and her nonconformity was apparent in every facet of her life. By the end of her career she had already excommunicated herself from the United States and settled into France where she would continue to perform on her own terms. If nothing else, Nina Simone was a walking portrait of racial pride and self-determination.
Thank you for reading! Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to clap, share, or leave a comment! Follow me on Medium to be updated every time I post something new :)
Donations may be sent via cash app to $twnkboi
All donations help me create more informative, insightful, and thought-provoking content for the future.
