Five reasons why Queen Latifah is the perfect host for the Kimmel Center’s grand Marian Anderson fete
It might seem a little out-of-pocket for the rapper-turned-action-heroine to host an elegant fete in honor of Marian Anderson, but the trailblazers are very similar.
Queen Latifah will emcee the Great Stages Gala concert at the Kimmel Center, Saturday, June. 8, the first official concert celebrating Verizon Hall’s new name: Marian Anderson Hall.
The concert will feature the Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, soprano Angel Blue, actress and singer Audra McDonald, and pianist Marcus Roberts.
It might seem a little out-of-pocket for the rapper-turned-action heroine — check out her deft martial arts defense skills on CBS’ The Equalizer — to host the elegant concert and rededication in honor of Anderson, the city’s foremost trailblazing opera singer. But Latifah and Anderson are similar in many ways.
“She’s a modern day Marian Anderson,” said Katharine Schimmer, director of strategic initiatives for The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts. “Like Ms. Anderson, Queen Latifah has broken barriers and his an inspiration to many and like Ms. Anderson, she’s used her high profile to uplift women of color.”
Here are five things Queen Latifah and Marian Anderson have in common.
» READ MORE: Philadelphia will get its first major building named for Marian Anderson. In Danbury, Connecticut, she’s everywhere
Both women are contraltos
Marian Anderson is best-known for theatrical renditions of “Ave Maria” and “The National Anthem” as well as African American spirituals: “Deep River” and “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands.” Her deep contralto voice is a hallmark of her storied career. Queen Latifah is also a contralto. She kicked off her career in 1988 with her first single, “Wrath of My Madness,” but in 2004 she surprised fans with a eponymously named album, Dana Owens, featuring easy listening recordings of jazz standards “I Put a Spell on You” and “California Dreamin’”.
Both achieved many firsts
When she sang the role of Ulrica in the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’sUn Ballo in Maschera, Anderson became the first Black woman to have a principal role at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. She was the first Black woman to perform at a presidential inauguration when she sang “The National Anthem” at the swearing in of Dwight D. Eisenhower. And as of Saturday, Anderson will be the first Black woman to have a major concert hall named in her honor.
Latifah was among the first ground breaking women in hip-hop. In her role of Khadijah in the 1990s comedy “Living Single,” she was the first woman rapper to star in her own weekly television series. In 1995, Latifah became the first woman rapper to win the the Grammy award for best solo rap performance for U.N.I.T.Y; in 2006 she was the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Both received Kennedy Center Honors
In 1978, Anderson was among the inaugural group of recipients to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. Other first year honorees include Fred Astaire, Richard Rodgers, and Arthur Rubinstein. Latifah was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023 in a cohort that included Billy Crystal, Dionne Warwick, and Barry Gibb.
Both used platforms for activism
In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused Howard University’s request to allow Anderson to perform at the Constitution Hall on Easter Sundaybecause Anderson was Black. Then first lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the D.A.R. in protest and lobbied for Anderson to perform in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The concert drew an integrated crowd of more than 75,000 people and is considered among the earliest watershed moments in Civil Rights History, bringing national attention to the country’s color barrier unlike any other event before it.
Latifah’s 1989 hip-hop duet with Monie Love, “Ladies First” is considered the first rap artist to speak to women’s empowerment. Latifah’s 1995 Grammy winning hit, “U.N.I.T.Y.” had lyrics demanding that men treat women with respect. These days Latifah is a staple on celebrity red carpets with her long-time partner Eboni Nichols, advocating for LGBTQ rights with nuance and dignity.
Both have music in The Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry
The Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.” In 2008 — 69 years after it was recorded— the NBC’s Radio Coverage of Anderson’s recital at the Lincoln Memorial was added to the National Registry. In 2023, Latifah’s “All Hail The Queen” was added to the registry.