Answer:
She sang in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, 1939 for a segregated audience. She was not allowed to sing in the Constitution Hall because the daughters of the American Revolution would not let her. She was an icon in the civil rights movement and some believe motivated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make his very well known "I have a dream" speech.
Quick facts:
-Her aunt Mary was her musical mentor
-She (and her whole family) were christian
-She went to MLK Jr.'s "i have a dream" speech
-Her father died when she was 12 at the age of 34
-Her grandfather died when she was 13
-She came from a family of 5 with mother, parents, and two younger sisters.
-Both of her sisters became singers as well.
-A lot of of people think she is a jazz musician, but they are confused, she is a classical singer.
-She was born on February 27, 1897 and died on April 8, 1993 (96)
-She grew up in Philadelphia
-She was African American