Songs of Social Consciousness: Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday)

Previously scheduled songs of social consciousness were all from the 1960s, a time of intense social change and growing awareness. "Strange Fruit" was first recorded in 1939 by Billie Holiday. It protested American racism and in particular, the lynchings of blacks that were all too common. This song highlighted injustices that much of America was not ready to hear. In fact, the opening of The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, (also known as "The Lynching Memorial") in Montgomery, Alabama in 2018 demonstrates that our national awareness of racial injustice is long overdue.

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