Marian Anderson Gala

On Monday, October 22nd The Marian Anderson Award was presented to musical genius Quincy Jones. Marian Anderson was one of the most celebrated African-American contraltos of the twentieth century. She was born in Philadelphia in 1897, and became a beloved symbol of the triumph of talent over prejudice and bigotry. Eleanor Roosevelt herself was a high-profile supporter of Marian Anderson and engaged her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. The award presented to Quincy Jones was preceded by tributes at the Academy of Music by the Philadelphia Orchestra, opera singer Grace Bumbry, legendary trumpeter John Faddis and a blow-out, sing-along with Stevie Wonder.