[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE MARIAN ANDERSON CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

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                       HON. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR.

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 1997

  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago, on February 27, 
1897, Marian Anderson, one of the world's greatest singers, a champion 
for civil rights, and a leader in the advancement of global peace, was 
born to a poor family in Philadelphia. PA. She died at the age of 96 on 
April 8, 1993. To honor the centennial of the birth of this great 
individual during Black History Month, I am today introducing with my 
13 other colleagues, the Marian Anderson Centennial Commemorative Coin 
Act.
  This legislation is a bipartisan effort to honor Ms. Anderson's life 
of achievements and accomplishments. Marian Anderson, a master of 
repertoire across operatic, recital, and American traditional genres, 
played a vital role in the acceptance of African-American musicians in 
the classical music world. In 1939, the Daughters of the American 
Revolution [DAR] refused to allow Anderson to sing at Constitution Hall 
because of her race. As a result of the ensuing public outcry, Eleanor 
Roosevelt resigned from the DAR and helped arrange a concert at the 
Lincoln Memorial that drew an audience of 75,000--an audience far 
larger than Constitution Hall could ever accommodate.
  Marian Anderson was awarded 24 honorary degrees by institutions of 
higher learning. In 1963, she was given a Presidential Medal of 
Freedom. Congress passed a resolution in 1974 to have a special gold 
medal minted in her name. Marian Anderson was also an alternate 
delegate to the United Nations where she received the U.N. Peace Prize 
in 1977. In addition, she was awarded the National Arts Medal in 1986.
  The surcharges from the sale of coins will be distributed to the 
Smithsonian Institution and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for 
the endowment of exhibits and educational programs related to African-
American art, history, and culture, as well as on the life of Marian 
Anderson. In addition, this bill assures that minting and issuing coins 
will not result in any net cost to the U.S. Government.
  As we celebrate the centennial of the birth of this great individual 
during Black History Month, I urge my colleagues in joining us to 
support the passage of the Marian Anderson Centennial Commemorative 
Coin Act.

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