In 1939, the great Marian Anderson was to be scheduled to sing at the Daughters of the American Revolution's Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. Provisions in the DAR's charter at that time prohibited "racial mixing" in the audience and "concerts by white artists only" were permitted, so Ms Anderson was denied permission to perform there. As a result, First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt angrily resigned from her membership in the DAR and made it possible for Marion Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial.
How apt, then, that today, First Lady, Michelle Obama gave a most powerful and poignant Commencement Address to the 164 graduating students from The Academies at Anacostia High School. Take a look...
ABC News
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Anacostia High School, now run under the auspices of Friendship Charter Schools, has, until this school year, been one of the poorest performing schools in Washington. This inaugural year as part of the Friendship flagship, improvement at the Academies has been immediate and significant. This year, about 90% of the graduating class will attend an institution of higher education. Graduation rates are up, absences are down, academic performance has improved considerably and Anacostia is now a much safer, more nurturing place to attend. So congratulations to the students, and a big thank you on behalf of those students to Mr. Donald Hense and all the educators who have made this day so special. And of course, a special thanks to Mrs. Obama!
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