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American Experience · S33 · E2

Voice of Freedom

  • TV-PG
  • Feb 15, 2021
  • 55 min
  • 2.1

Explore the fascinating life of celebrated singer Marian Anderson. In 1939, after being barred from performing at Constitution Hall because she was Black, she triumphed at the Lincoln Memorial in what became a landmark moment in American history.

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About this episode

Explore the fascinating life of celebrated singer Marian Anderson. In 1939, after being barred from performing at Constitution Hall because she was Black, she triumphed at the Lincoln Memorial in what became a landmark moment in American history.

Season 33

8 episodes
  1. 1The Codebreaker

    55 minJan 11, 20212.8

    Based on the book The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies, The Codebreaker reveals the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst whose painstaking work to decode thousands of messages for the U.S. government.

  2. 2Voice of Freedom

    55 minFeb 15, 20212.1Now viewing

    Explore the fascinating life of celebrated singer Marian Anderson. In 1939, after being barred from performing at Constitution Hall because she was Black, she triumphed at the Lincoln Memorial in what became a landmark moment in American history.

  3. 3The Blinding of Isaac Woodard

    55 minMar 30, 20212.1

    In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.

  4. 4American Oz

    55 minApr 19, 2021

    The life of author L. Frank Baum, creator of the classic novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which has inspired films, books and musicals.

  5. 5Billy Graham

    55 minMay 17, 20212.4

    Explore the life of one of the best-known and most influential religious leaders of the 20th century. An international celebrity by age 30, he built a media empire, preached to millions worldwide, and had the ear of tycoons, presidents and royalty.

  6. 6Sandra Day O'Connor: The First

    55 minSep 13, 20212.1

    Discover the story of the Supreme Court’s first female justice. A pioneer who both reflected and shaped an era, she was the deciding vote in cases on some of the 20th century’s most controversial issues—including race, gender and reproductive rights.

  7. 7Citizen Hearst (1)

    55 minSep 27, 20212.3

    William Randolph Hearst builds the nation’s largest media empire by the 1930s. Born into one of America’s wealthiest families, he used his outlets to achieve unprecedented political power, then ran for office himself.

  8. 8Citizen Hearst (2)

    55 minSep 28, 20212.3

    William Randolph Hearst continued his rise to power and expansion into Hollywood. The model for Citizen Kane, he had a decades-long affair with actress Marion Davies, built an enormous castle at San Simeon, and forever transformed modern media.

Guest stars

Renée Elise GoldsberryNarrator