Happy birthday to James Baldwin, the extraordinary Black queer author, poet and civil rights activist, whose life and legacy we celebrate today.
In his honor, we share this intriguing article by The Atlantic praising the brilliance of his letters. The piece begins with a correspondence in 1974 between Baldwin and Abel Meeropol, his one-time high school English teacher who wrote "Strange Fruit" and, along with his wife, adopted the sons of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg:
Last weekend marked the 85th anniversary of Billie's Holiday's recording of "Strange Fruit," a protest song against the lynching of Black Americans, written by Abel Meeropol (father of RFC Founder, Robert Meeropol).
Holiday's recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978, well after her death in 1959. Time Magazine named it "Song of the Century" in 1999, and according to Mississippi Today, the British music publication Q included it among their "10 songs that actually changed the world."
Happy (almost) birthday to activist artist Billie Holiday, born on April 7, 1915. The talented, iconic blues singer performed and popularized Abel Meeropol's powerful and haunting anti-lynching protest song, "Strange Fruit."
Today's Strange Fruit Mention of the Day is uber local to the RFC office. It comes from Northampton, MA where a literary gathering, the WriteAngles Conference, organized by the Straw Dogs Writers Guild, will be taking place on Sat., April 6, after a five year hiatus. The keynote address will be given by Shanta Lee, the award-winning poet, visual artist and journalist.
Today's Strange Fruit Mention of the Day is an event on Thursday, February 8th that we've really looking forward to attending. There's still time to register for "The Billie Holiday Symposium," at Hunter College's Roosevelt House (both in person and on Zoom). The gathering celebrates "the artistry of Billie Holiday and the publication of Bitter Crop: The Heartache and Triumph of Billie Holiday's Last Year, a new book by Paul Alexander."
Today's Strange Fruit Mention of the Day comes from Miami, Florida where a new art exhibit “Strange Fruits: Homage to Purvis Young” debuted, featuring a collection of works by local and international artists paying homage to celebrated artist (and Miami native) Purvis Young. The artists were invited to contribute pieces that speak to the Black experience and/or in the spirit of Young's work.
Today's Strange Fruit Mention of the Day is courtesy of The Black Wall Street Times and highlights a fascinating upcoming in-person and virtual program at The Guthrie Center: "Tri-City Collective, in partnership with Tulsa Artist Fellowship and the Woody Guthrie Center, will present 'Strange Fruit: The Art and Activism of Billie Holiday,' a live in-person and virtual discussion, on Saturday, December 16, 2:00-3:30 p.m. at the Woody Guthrie Center. The event, which is free and open to the public, coincides with the Woody Guthrie Center’s exhibition entitled Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill."
Today's Strange Fruit Mention of the Day comes from MSN's "20 songs that changed the course of musical history."
Billie Holiday's recording of "Strange Fruit" kicks off the list:
Today's Strange Fruit Mention of the Day comes from singer Amahla, whose latest single, "Enough," deals with "inter-generational truths from Black communities, it deals with trauma, but also unity, and perseverance." The artist explains that her song was shaped by recent events, including Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict for George Floyd's murder and the news of the police killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright.
Today’s Strange Fruit Mention of the Day comes from The Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma courtesy of a new photo exhibit focused on Billie Holiday. According to the Director of The Center, Cady Shaw, “Woody Guthrie and Billie Holiday were iconic figures in folk and jazz music who left an indelible mark on America… Their performances and shared commitment to fighting against racism and injustice cemented their legacies as influential voices of resistance.”