Strange Fruit: Spread The Chilling Truth Through Song

Many understood the chilling truth about the brutality and oppression African Americans faced in the 1930s, especially when they heard the song "Strange Fruit" performed by Billie Holiday. The lyrics in harmony with Billie Holliday's passion and twist put the listener at the sight of a lynching. This song makes the act of lynching personal. We feel the pain of lynching, and furthermore the oppression African Americans faced during slavery and post slavery years when we here this song. "Strange Fruit" forces the listener to question their role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1930s. This song has so much staying power because it is informative and real, but also because it is a call of action. It is a cry for help by all minorities who were affected by lynching. “Strange Fruit” has so much staying power that still today, in 2013, we see powerful young artist like India Arie and Kanye West covering this song on their album. This song was that much more powerful at its release because it came at a time where the culture did not generally accept such music or language; at a time where media of lynching or slavery were put on the back burner to be left alone. Abel Meeropol hit the nation head on with the writing of this song and Billie’s courage to sing the song so perfectly for the people led the anti-lynching movement. The gripping lyrics make you shiver in pain and fear when you hear it. It made people understand that lynching was wrong at time where many people taught it to be right.