The Lincoln Memorial Concert is what made Marian Anderson so popular in the United States, and it was essentially an accident. Anderson was in Washington D.C because she was slated to perform at a Daughters of the American Revolution conference at Constitution Hall. However, she was not allowed to enter the building due to her race. When member of the DAR and then current First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt heard of the snubbing, she left the DAR, and many members followed her. She invited Marian to sing instead at a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. So, on April 9th of 1939, that is where she performed; infront of 75,000 people.