Trailblazer Biographies

Even as a little child, Marian Anderson knew what she wanted to do. More than anything in the world, she wanted to sing. From the age of six, Marian amazed her listeners with the beauty of her voice. All through her long life, what Marian Anderson had was a gift for singing. But she had other gifts as well. When she faced discrimination, Marian gave us all the gift of her example. At a time when fear and hatred divided the nation, Marian showed dignity and grace. And at a time in America when racial prejudice denied black Americans a place in classical music, Marian forged a career as the greatest contralto of her time. Marian was famous around the world long before the great Civil Rights struggles of the 1950's. And though she never spoke publicly against discrimination, her action and her beautiful voice spoke louder than words.

When she was growing up in Waxahachie, Texas, in the early 1900's, young Bessie Coleman had to do without a lot of things. Because she was black, she went to inferior schools. Because her mother worked to support the family, Bessie often had to stay at home to watch her younger sisters. But Bessie Coleman always knew she would make something of her life. In 1920 she became the first African-American woman to fly an airplane. Struggling against prejudice and lack of funds, Coleman built a career as a barn-storming pilot in the 1920s. Although she did not live to realize her dream of opening a school for black aviators, she was--by her example--a source of inspiration to generations of flyers, dreamers, and achievers to come.