MOTD: Apr 14, 2022

Portland Press Herald's logo (dark orange background with white letter P in gothic-style font).
MOTD
This Rosenberg Mention of the Day comes from a recent letter to the editor comparing charges faced by the Rosenbergs and the *lack* of accountability facing certain right-wing leadership in recent... Read More

MOTD: Apr 07, 2022

Douglas Mills Jr. stands for his audition in Austin, TX for American Idol against a brightly lit stage with the show's logo.Today's #StrangeFruitMOTD comes from Austin, TX where a Houston native high school student, Douglas Mills, Jr. auditioned for this season of American Idol with a powerful rendition of "Strange Fruit." The song, written by Abel Meeropol and made famous by Billie Holiday, protests lynchings of Black Americans and is a staple of the civil rights movement. The emotio (ABC/Eric McCandless)
MOTD
Today's #StrangeFruitMOTD comes from Austin, TX where a Houston native high school student, Douglas Mills, Jr. auditioned for this season of American Idol with a powerful rendition of "Strange Fruit...

MOTD: Apr 05, 2022

Black and white photo of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg sitting in together in a park. Ethel's arms rest on Julius' shoulders.
MOTD
On this day, April 5, 1951, Federal Judge Irving R. Kaufman sentenced Ethel and Julius Rosenberg to death, one week after a jury convicted them of conspiracy to commit espionage.

MOTD: Apr 04, 2022

Andra Day as Billie Holiday in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday." Credit: Takashi Seida
MOTD
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: Congratulations to the hugely talented Andra Day for her Grammy win last night for "United States vs. Billie Holiday" in the "best compilation soundtrack for visual... Read More

MOTD: Apr 01, 2022

Black and white photo of Nina Simone smiling, close-up on her face.
MOTD
Today’s #StrangeFruitMOTD is a haunting, a cappella rendition of Nina Simone's cover of the protest song originally made famous by Billie Holiday – "Strange Fruit." The stripped-down track allows the... Read More

MOTD: Mar 29, 2022

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg prison visit, separated by mesh wire fencing.
MOTD
On this day: March 29, 1951 Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage.

MOTD: Mar 14, 2022

Iconic Uptown Charlotte "Strange Fruit" mural, at Spirit Square near the corner of North Tryon and East 7th Streets in Uptown.
MOTD
This #StrangeFruitMOTD highlights “Dammit Wesley,” a visual artist from Charlotte, NC. “One of his most iconic murals ... named ‘Strange Fruit’ is a nod to the words from the songs [popularized] by... Read More

MOTD: Mar 11, 2022

Andy Warhol, speaking into a telephone
MOTD
Today’s Rosenberg Mention of the Day highlights the more controversial work of pop artist Andy Warhol.

MOTD: Mar 10, 2022

Angela Davis poses, seated beside a table with a vase of flowers.
MOTD
Today's Rosenberg Mention of the Day comes from a beautiful article about RFC Advisory Board member Angela Davis and a lifetime dedicated to revolution. She discusses that while imprisoned in the... Read More

MOTD: Mar 03, 2022

Billy Keane and Wanda Houston record their original song, “It's About More,” at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington.
MOTD
This Strange Fruit MOTD comes from Pittsfield, MA where the Black Legacy Project, a national initiative to foster racial unity, will premiere on March 6.

MOTD: Mar 02, 2022

Nile Alicia Ruff and Davione Gordon, center, with members of Spectrum Dance Theater, perform in “Strange Fruit” at the Peak Performances series at Montclair State University.
MOTD
This visceral, deeply upsetting #StrangeFruitMOTD features a dance/theater piece by Donald Byrd’s Seattle-based Spectrum Dance Theater currently in production at Montclair State University in NJ.

MOTD: Feb 28, 2022

Still-frame from the "Strange Fruit" video by the SALT Project. A close up of one of the narrators at the microphone.
MOTD
This video from SALT was produced in 2014 to honor the 75th anniversary of Billie Holiday's first recording of "Strange Fruit." The narrators take a faith-based/religious lens, which we think is... Read More

MOTD: Feb 24, 2022

Singer Nina Simone
MOTD
One day after her birthday, another Nina Simone-focused Strange Fruit Mention of the Day highlights her “five greatest isolated vocals”: “Billie Holiday is the artist...most intrinsically linked with... Read More

MOTD: Feb 18, 2022

Designed image. On left half is black and white photo of Michael Meeropol. On right half on red background and white font is a portion of Michael's interview and a sound level meter underneath. The "Now What?" Podcast logo is positioned under the sound level meter.
MOTD
Rosenberg Mention of the Day // A new podcast episode of "Now What?" with Carole Zimmer features Michael Meeropol, older son to Julius and Ethel, to discuss his parents and his childhood. The show... Read More

MOTD: Feb 17, 2022

A framed, black and white photo of Billie Holiday hangs on a dark wall alongside musical memorabilia: a blues guitar, a saxophone, and a drum.
MOTD
#StrangeFruit Mention of the Day: A news segment discusses the origin of the anti-lynching protest song, "Strange Fruit," written by Abel Meeropol and performed by Billie Holiday. The segment... Read More

MOTD: Feb 14, 2022

a black and white photo, Abel Meeropol with his sons Robert and Michael as young children playing with a model train set on the floor.
MOTD
#OnThisDay, February 14, 1910 Abel Meeropol was born. He was a teacher and a poet, most famous for writing the anti-lynching poem, "Bitter Fruit," which he would later adapt to music and retitle as... Read More

MOTD: Feb 11, 2022

Designed image with a screenshot of the video thumbnail image from the "you can say that again, billie" episode webpage, including a close-up, black and white photo of Billie Holiday singing in front of a microphone; the white play button is visible over the photo. The background of the image is teal with the multicolored Poetry in America logo in the top left. Top right, in white font reads, "Episode available now at poetryinamerica.org," and at the bottom center are two lines of text in white font outline
MOTD
The PBS series Poetry In America devoted their latest episode to a poem entitled "you can say that again, billie" by Evie Shockley, inspired by the anti-lynching song "Strange Fruit," written by Abel... Read More

MOTD: Feb 10, 2022

A photo of rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy on stage, wearing a black t-shirt and a black cap. He holds a microphone in his right hand close to his face. Stage lights flash behind him against a black backdrop.
MOTD
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day // Chuck D, frontman for Public Enemy and RFC Advisory Board member, collaborated with Audible to create "Songs That Shook the Planet" about Black protest songs,... Read More
Donate