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Celebrating Musical Legend Marian Anderson At City Hall

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Marian Anderson was to opera what Jackie Robinson was to baseball and on Tuesday, what would have been her 121st birthday, the city celebrated the musical legend.

It's not a celebration of a musical legend without music.

"Today we celebrate Marian Anderson Day in Philadelphia," says Jillian Patricia Pirtle, who performed at City Hall.

Pirtle runs the Marian Anderson Historical Society, which operates the National Marian Anderson Museum inside of the soprano's home in South Philadelphia.

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The group received a ceremonial citation from the city as it launched a new exhibit, Marian Anderson: A Philadelphia Story.

The exhibition highlights Anderson's barrier breaking work and activism from the prison of her connections to Philadelphia institutions, landmarks, iconic figures and charities.

"From children's hospital, the Academy of Music, any and everything Marian touched it was a part of it," said Pirtle.

The exhibition runs through October.

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