Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: "Many decades after it was first recorded by Billie Holiday, 'Strange Fruit' continues to be terrifyingly resonant. The song, which verbalizes the horrors of racism in the American South, has been covered countless times by artists across genres, from Tori Amos to Andra Day. But two renditions of the song continue to stand out above all others: Billie Holiday’s unforgettable original and Nina Simone’s profound, straightforward take."
Artists as Activists Mention of the Day: In his fascinating review of Aaron Leonard's new book, The Folk Singers and the Bureau: The FBI, the Folk Artists and the Suppression of the Communist Party, USA—1939–1956, Mat Callahan explores the targeting of political organizers (including Ethel & Julius Rosenberg) and artists (including Billie Holiday & her performance of "Strange Fruit") and the contradiction inherent in this repression of activist artists.
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: Kehinde Wiley's 2012 painting "Judith and Holofernes" is a modern take on a Biblical story reimagined time and again in classical arts, this time depicting a Black woman in the role of righteous Judith, and a white man in the role of the oppressor Holofernes. As the Op-ed's author Austin Dunlow points out, NC Lt. Gov.
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: “'Strange Fruit,' was originally a poem written by Abel Meeropol, entitled 'Bitter Fruit.' As a song sung by Holiday, it became a classic. However, the words of the song painted a vivid picture of lynching and racism which was prevalent at the time, she was forbidden to sing it." https://guardianlv.com/2021/04/for-billie-holiday-the-struggle-was-real/ #StrangeFruitMOTD
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: When donations seemingly come to the RFC from out-of-the-blue, Executive Director Jenn Meeropol always wishes she could understand donors' motivations for contributing this particular amount at this moment in time. She recently had a surprising and delightful email exchange with one such donor which she shares in her new blog, "'Strange Fruit' and the Magic of Out-of-the-Blue Donations."
#strangefruitmotd
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: #checksout ✅ "The notion that Baldwin — perhaps the most prominent Black American writer of the 20th century — was taught English literature by a white, Jewish teacher who also happened to write the most prominent anti-racist anthem of the 20th century, is an alluring piece of historical happenstance. It is also true." #strangefruitmotd
PS - This article contains a rather sweet letter exchange between Abel Meeropol and James Baldwin. Highly recommend giving this a read all the way through.
Sharing this excellent piece about the history of the iconic protest song "Strange Fruit" for today's joint Strange Fruit & Rosenberg Mention of the Day: From the article, "In the 21st century, 'Strange Fruit' has lived on, sampled in the 2000 song 'What’s Really Going On,' in which the singer Dwayne Wiggins recounts an episode of racial profiling at the hands of the police in Oakland, Calif.
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: Tomorrow morning, you can catch RFC Founder Robert Meeropol & Advisory Board member Michael Meeropol on CBS's "This Morning: Saturday"! They were interviewed for a segment on #strangefruit which will include info about their father (& songwriter), Abel Meeropol. We’re told it will air at apprx. 7:45 AM EST and will also be available to stream afterwards on the show’s website, here: https://www.cbsnews.com/cbs-this-morning/saturday/.
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day:
No more #strangefruit. RIP #GeorgeFloyd, #MaKhaiBryant, #DaunteWright, #AdamToledo, & so many others. #BlackLivesMatter
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Poem by Jessica Foster, June 2020. Image posted by @gindaanis via Twitter. #StrangeFruitMOTD
Strange Fruit Mention of the Day: “Though we know Billie Holiday’s voice as one that redefined jazz, her voice also heralded an anti-racist movement throughout the ’40s and fought for survival against the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. She should be revered as the musical genius, activist and trailblazer she was.”
Her signature style also inspired Frank Sinatra who called her his "single greatest musical influence."