Racism was such a large part of society and American life in the 1930's, that many Americans didn't think to question their prejudices. Marian Anderson's experiences concerning racism and reaching through the racial "glass ceiling" typify American racism towards blacks, Jews, Native Americans, Chinese, people from Oklahoma in the West, and women. These peoples were looked upon as inferior by much of America and were denied basic rights.

Marian Anderson was an African American singer who suffered much experience with racism and prejudice. When she was young, no one in the United States would give her singing lessons because she was dark-skinned. To find people who would look past the color of her skin, she traveled to Europe to study voice and music. Anderson toured extensively in Europe, where she performed in a 1935 Mozart festival in Austria, and she was praised extensively. The Archbishop of Salzburg and many of Europe's finest musicians requested to hear her sing. When Anderson decided to return to the United States after her success in Europe, she performed in New York's Town Hall. It was a great accomplishment, and her voice was appreciated.

Even with her beautiful voice, promising history of success in Europe, and being the country's third highest box office draw, Marian Anderson still faced prejudice almost wherever she went, like much of the population of America in the 1930's. She was often denied reception in hotels, restaurants, and concert halls. In April of 1939, Anderson was refused the Daughters of the Revolution's Constitutional Hall for an Easter Concert because of the color of her skin. This caused protests on a national level. The Daughters of the Revolution (DAR) is a national organization which is directly connected to the national government. The organization's motto is and was to "extend the institutions of American freedom . . . . and to aid in securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty." The nation was appalled that an organization with such a non-discriminate motto could commit an overtly racist act: to judge Marian Anderson by the color of her skin and not by the value of her voice. In response, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR and organized a government-sponsored concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Marian Anderson there performed "America the Beautiful" to 75,000 proud listeners and millions more by radio.

Marian Anderson's suffers with discrimination typify the experiences of many minorities and even majorities of American people in the 1930's. Like Marian Anderson, the African American population of the United States endured racism. They were often refused admittance to hotel, concert halls, and restaurants, or were provided with "separate but equal" facilities. The segregated buildings were almost always worse for the African Americans. The higher paying jobs were reserved for whites, and African Americans only received what was left: the lowest work wages. African Americans were, as the saying goes, "the last to be hired and the first to be fired." An overwhelmingly large amount of African Americans could barely afford to feed their families because whites simply received all of the available jobs. This obvious discrimination is parallel to the discrimination Marian Anderson faced. Her hardships also typify the plight of Jews in the 1930's.

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Just as "white only" and "colored only" dictated what Marian Anderson could do in America, signs reading "No Dogs or Jews Allowed" decreed where Jews could go and what professions they could choose. Jews were considered inferior to whites, similarly to African Americans. Anti-Semitism was also prevalent in Europe, so Jews couldn't travel there to receive an education. The hardships Jews faced are typified by Marian Anderson's.

Marian Anderson's struggle with racism also represents what the Native Americans were forced to face in the 1930's. Native Americans were forced to stay on reservations and their lives were very restricted, like Marian Anderson's. Many Native Americans were forced to sell beautiful headdresses and costumes which had been in their families for generations just to buy food. Native Americans were considered inferior to whites, and were thus given unfairly high prices for food. These terrible hardships are symbolized by what Marian Anderson had to face.

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Also represented by Marian Anderson's confrontations with racism is the prejudice encountered by the Chinese in the 1930's. The Chinese living on the west coast faced a massive amount of discrimination from whites. Some were denied jobs and housing, so they formed Chinatowns. The general feeling of white America was that these Chinatowns were dangerous and to be seen in movies. Whites were also prejudiced in that they thought Chinese were "evil." This made it hard for Chinese to rise in class or support their families. The racism endured by the Chinese is symbolized by what Marian Anderson encountered.

"Okies," or people from Oklahoma who migrated west, faced fierce discrimination, like Marian Anderson. "Okies" came west looking for opportunity and food during the Dust Bowl, when their land and crops were blown away. Over three million migrant farmers faced disrespect and discrimination. The farm children weren't allowed to attend public schools or live near the whites already occupying the west. Like Marian Anderson, the "Okies" worked hard to get an education: the farmers built their own schools.

Marian Anderson's experiences with racism also typify the experiences of a majority in 1930's America: women. Women faced prejudice as their abilities were grossly underestimated, and they were denied equal rights as men. Women weren't allowed to participate in major league sports. A striking example was when a Tennessee baseball team signed Jackie Mitchell as a pitcher. After she struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, the baseball commissioner declared her contract void. Many American women faced similar situations. Marian Anderson's struggle to be judged by her voice and not the color of her skin typifies how the 1930's women struggled to be judged by their abilities.

Marian Anderson was a very representative American woman of the 1930's. She faced prejudice and racism because of the color of her skin despite her beautiful contralto voice. Her struggles with discrimination typify the similar struggles of many American peoples: African Americans, Jews, Native Americans, Chinese, "Okies," and American women.