Despite massive, worldwide protest, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed on June 19, 1953, at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, NY. They were convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Espionage in one of the most hotly-debated trials in U.S. history.

The “Song of the Century” according to Time Magazine in 1999, was written by Abel Meeropol (aka Lewis Allan) in the late 1930s. The stark and haunting anti-lynching anthem, which Meeropol originally wrote as a poem entitled “Bitter Fruit” before changing the name and setting it to music, was first performed by Abel’s wife Anne at teacher’s union meetings. Billie Holiday made an iconic recording in 1939, and numerous other artists have since released their own versions. Strange Fruit still inspires a vast array of art and culture around the world today.

At the RFC, we celebrate the power of art and artists to spark conversation and move people to action, while also creating beauty and community. We know that was true during the Harlem Renaissance and the Red Scare and the Civil Rights and Anti-War Movements and it’s still true today.