Anderson was an early inspiration for scholar Shana Redmond, who explores the places she still feels the diva's presence: an inscrutable photo, a scrap of silent film, a concert borne on her legacy.
The Black contralto put European art music and African-American spirituals in parity — and in her art, paved the way for generations of singers after her, both inside and outside classical music.
British-born singer Eno Williams grew up in Nigeria, but fuses the language of her roots with the musical roots of her bandmates, who hail from Ghana, Trinidad, Australia and Brazil.
Like a pink ombré hair dye, some of the best pop songs illuminate the shades of change — whether they are seasonal, emotional, romantic or the big questions of life.
The coat Anderson wore at her iconic 1939 Lincoln Memorial performance connects her with a legacy of black women performers, from Bessie Smith to Beyoncé, who have used fur to send a message.