fourth-grader sky jabali-rainey took on the role of marian anderson. >> i am marian anderson. refused the opportunity to sing at the daughters of the american revolution hall. you see when i sing, i don't want them to see my face is black or white. i want them to see my soul. >> she had the courage to sing in front of thousands of people. you have got to get up and fight the fear. made the message quite clear. concerts by white artists only. an alternative performance at the lincoln memorial was arranged by supporters which included first lady eleanor roosevelt, and anderson sang of her country's original promise. ♪ from every mountainside let freedom ring ♪ ♪ >> anderson herself began singing with a baptist church choir in philadelphia. a children of modest means, she and two sisters were raised by their mother after their father died. at 15, she took her first formal music lessons and at 30 went to europe to establish herself in a more welcoming environment, as many black performers at the time did. she returned home in 1935 and was again confronted by a segregated america.

old tomorrow, she was chosen by the southeast 10 son learning center to portray marian anderson. >>aughters of the american revolution constitution hall she didn't get mad or angry she just kept ongoing. >> after the lincoln memorial concert her fame grew. she was the first black performer at the metropolitan opera, she sang for john f. kennedy's inauguration in 1961 and she sang again in 1963 at the december knowledge civil rights march on washington for jobs and freedom. and then she sang several times on the constitution hall, these times invited by the d.a.r. anderson's dress as seen in the old black and white news reel didn't standout. but on the display currently at the smithsonian, her dress sass vibrant as her voice and the message as relevant. >> i think you seize the day in a moment like this, just as my predecessor harold did, and first lady eleanor roosevelt did to make a statement that did, in fact, change the world. >> you see what i sing, i don't want them to see that my face is black, i don't want them to see that my face is white, i want thome see my soul. and that

marian anderson was a famous opera singer, who performed all over the world, but here in the u.s., shenging at a hall in washington, d.c. because of her skin color. first lady eleanor roosevelt was outraged when she found out about it and arranged for anderson to perform at another venue. right there on the steps of the lincoln memorial, on this day 75 years ago, april 9th, 1939, 75,000 people turned out for a public concert that forever changed the landscape of african-americans in music. ♪ >> a quarter of a century later, anderson returned to lincoln memorial, this time singing at dr. martin luther king's march on washington. we see as she sings there, dr. king talked about a dream that day. no one thought the years before that she was barred that we'd ever see dr. king talking about a dream. many things today we'd not achieved, but gives us the faith to know if we have the same commitment and persistence they did, we can make that dream a full reality. and that's why some of us continue to sing and continue to work. freedom song. thanks for watching, i'm al sharpton. "hardball" star

we've explored the legacy of monumental moments in the country's struggle toward equality, from marian anderson's historic performance on the steps of the lincoln memorial to landmark legislation spearheaded by president lyndon johnson. tonight, jeff continues his travels with u.s. poet laureate natasha trethewey to discover "where poetry lives," this time to her native mississippi and ending with a march in selma, alabama. (singing) >> it was a journey of memory including the painful one of killing medgar evers in the driveway of his mississippi home in 1963. >> to me you're standing on hall load ground. >> this day his widow, daughter and others paid honor. >> this one man gave his blood to help free not just our people but a nation. we're grateful. >> brown: it was a journey of language, the power of words to move a nation. >> if i could have your attention -- >> brown: the annual civil rights pilgrimage founded 40 years ago to commemorate key events from the rear and bring politicians from both sides of the aisle together from activists from then and now. this year poet laureate natasha treth

she allowed marian anderson to come sing. that echoes throughout the nation.an bring up all the problems you want. these are problems that plague the nation, not just african-americans. if you go in many rural areas you see how these things have torn up white communities. let's not keep it as a black thing. the nation's poverty rate, the majority of those are right -- whites. host: i want to get your take on a pole from cbs news. they asked whether or not racial discrimination will always exist. 46% said that it would. 44% among whites. 61% of african-americans said it would. what impact has the civil rights act had? guest: i would imagine you would have a larger number of whites who said racism would go. they did not accept the fact that they were racially motivated. it is amazing when you give the numbers, they are equal in some ways. it shows several things. it shows the we have faith in certain things, some things we have given up on. some people thought there was an african american president problems would be stalled. it does not work that way. this was