Today marks 65 years since the death of Billie Holiday, whose famous rendition of "Strange Fruit" was named Time Magazine's "song of the 20th century". Written by Abel Meeropol, father of RFC Founder Robert Meeropol, it was a strong condemnation of lynchings and racial terror in America. Holiday regularly performed the song and refused to stop, even after the FBI made her a target and hounded her until the end of her life.
A recent article by Tracy Fessenden, professor of religious studies at Arizona State University, reviews the song from a theological lens and discusses "religious narratives of justice, injustice, truth-telling and redemption" in the context of the song, as she sees it. Read more here: https://www.upi.com/Voices/2024/07/15/strange-fruit-billie-holiday-song…