Mary Ann Pollar facts for kids

Mary Ann Pollar (1927–1999) was an amazing person who helped bring music and culture to many people. She was a concert promoter, which means she organized live music shows. Mary Ann also started a special place called The Rainbow Sign in Berkeley, California. This center celebrated African American culture from 1971 to 1977. Later in her life, she worked in public transportation.

Mary Ann's Early Life

Mary Ann grew up in a family of Baptist preachers. She spent her early childhood in Texas, close to the Mexican border. When she was twelve, her family moved to Chicago. There, she later went to Roosevelt College. She studied something called labor education, which teaches about workers' rights. Her husband, Henry Pollar, was an engineer.

Promoting Concerts and Music

Mary Ann Pollar started organizing concerts in the 1950s. She worked in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was good friends with the folk singer Odetta. Mary Ann even named her daughter, born in 1955, Odette after her friend.

Rolling Stone magazine said that Mary Ann was the one who brought Bob Dylan to the West Coast for the first time. This happened in 1964 at the Berkeley Community Theater. Her daughter, Odette Pollar, shared a funny story. She said her mom actually turned Bob Dylan down twice! Mary Ann hadn't heard of him before.

Mary Ann booked many famous artists for her concerts. These included Odetta, Bob Dylan, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. She introduced many of these artists to the San Francisco area.

A project at the University of California, Berkeley shared how important she was. They said that many rock music fans know names like Chet Helms and Bill Graham. But Mary Ann Pollar is often forgotten. This is surprising because she brought so many famous performers to the Bay Area first.

Artists Mary Ann Introduced

Here are just a few of the artists Mary Ann Pollar introduced to the Bay Area:

• Joan Baez
• Judy Collins
• The Clancy Brothers
• Arlo Guthrie
• Curtis Mayfield
• Pete Seeger
• Peter, Paul and Mary
• Buffy Sainte-Marie
• Simon & Garfunkel
• Nina Simone
• Frank Zappa

The Rainbow Sign Cultural Center

In 1971, Mary Ann Pollar started The Rainbow Sign. This was an African American cultural center in Berkeley. It was located on Grove Street, which is now Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The center was open from 1971 to 1977.

Slate magazine said that Mary Ann "brainstormed" this center into being. She got the name from a line in the spiritual song Mary Don't You Weep. The line is: "God gave Noah the rainbow sign, no more water the fire next time!" This line was also mentioned by James Baldwin in his book The Fire Next Time.

Mary Ann wanted The Rainbow Sign to be many things. She imagined it as an art gallery, a cultural center, a meeting place, and a restaurant. She wanted it to be a bridge between all kinds of people. This included different ethnic groups, nations, and political ideas. The Rainbow Sign aimed to support and strengthen the many different cultures that are important for everyone's freedom.

Famous Visitors at Rainbow Sign

Many famous performers, writers, and artists visited The Rainbow Sign. These included:

• Samella Lewis
• James Baldwin
• Kenny Burrell
• Nina Simone
• Joyce Carol Thomas
• Maya Angelou
• Pharoah Sanders
• Oscar Brown Jr.
• Josephine Baker
• Mrs. W. E. B. Du Bois

Mary Ann called these cultural figures "giants." She said they were at the top of what they did.

Many of the performers who have come to Rainbow Sign do so for little or no remuneration.... They come to Rainbow Sign for its ambience. They hear that there is nothing else like Rainbow Sign and they offer to appear. And the whole purpose is basically educational, director Pollar says. "Hidden under everything we do, the best entertainment we put on, there's always a message: Look about you; think about this."

This means many artists performed for little or no money. They came because they loved the atmosphere of The Rainbow Sign. They heard it was a unique place. Mary Ann said the main goal was education. She wanted people to think about the world around them.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1978, Mary Ann Pollar started a new job. She worked for AC Transit, a public transportation company. There, she helped organize a local union for the employees who managed things.

Mary Ann Pollar passed away from lung cancer on September 11, 1999. Her work as a concert promoter and her creation of The Rainbow Sign left a lasting impact on culture and community.