billie holiday was a global superstar and she is the godmother of civil rights
what makes her life a phenomenal story is that she had the government against her because she wanted
to sing strange fruit which was a song about lynching and they told her no black body swings
a song about important things you know things that are going on in the country strange fruit in the
black community it's almost like this battle cry no one would allow us to speak on it the only way
to get into the hearts and living rooms of america was through song it's really the story of her
being one of the first freedom fighters because it was her singing that song unapologetically and
defiantly that reinvigorated the civil rights movement and that's what they hated her for
get her off that stage
after seeing strange fruit you know police would be shooting into her car as she's driving away
anslinger was the director of the federal bureau of narcotics he wanted to make an example out
of her no matter how hard he tries she still gets up and she wins the hearts of the crowd
and this infuriates her we've warned her to stop singing the song if i don't sing it who will
it showed that real resistance existed way back then it was timely still timely and the naacp
says billy holliday is the voice of our people i want people to walk away knowing that you can
make a change because that's exactly what billy holliday did strange fruit hanging you think i'm
gonna stop singing that song you grandkids will be singing strange fruit from the poplar trees