“One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism” (Blair ). “Strange Fruit” was written by Abel Meeropol and published in 1937. Billie Holiday then went to to sing “Strange Fruits” in 1939, it quickly became one of her most requested songs. Abel Meeropol had once witnessed seeing a photograph of a lynching, aghast by what he had just seen, he decided to compose a poem about it. My overall response to the poem was stupefied because
“Strange Fruit” by Abel Meeropol is a poem that was published in 1937. “Strange Fruit” is a poem that was inspired by a horrible picture of a horrible lynching that occurred in 1930. This poem, by Abel Meeropol, is a disturbing poem to listen to and makes some people feel uncomfortable. Racism was a big part of the Great Depression but not really in Indiana. The event that took place on that day was very disturbing. People went to it with their youngs and smiles on their faces like it was a carnival
Comparison of “Nina” and “Strange Fruit” Throughout history, black people have suffered from oppression, which continues today. But what do these experiences really feel like? Abel Meeropol wrote a song in 1937, named “Strange Fruit”, reflecting the way black people suffered during this time. Meeropol’s piece uses motif, comparing black people who were lynched to natural things like fruit hanging from trees. Meeropol illustrates the cruelties that black people have experienced in a subtle, yet
Strange Fruit Strange fruit is a really good written poem by Abel Meeropol which describes how we used to hang black people by trees and watch without any disgust, sad thoughts, etc. This poem was published in 1937. This man, Abel Meeropol, was motivated to write this book after witnessing a lynch of two black teenagers. I believe that this poem symbolizes how the colored had lives too not just whites, and that it was wrong to do what we did in the past. In this poem by Abel Meeropol
“Strange Fruit” and “Blood on the Leaves” The song “Strange Fruit” written by Billie Holiday was very iconic. There was a big story behind the song that demonstrated the inhumanity of racism. Billie Holiday was inspired to write this song because he saw a photograph of someone being lynched. His song tied into an important moment in America’s history. The man behind the song “Strange Fruit” was Abel Meeropol. In the late 1930’s Meeropol was very disgusted at the continuation of racism in America
“Strange Fruit” is a powerful song written by a Jewish- American school teacher, Abel Meeropol, later sang by Billie Holiday, and changed the history of American music in late 1930s. Some people believed that “Strange Fruit” is an early cry for civil rights while others believe it is the beginning of Civil Right movement. Although radio station refused to play this song at first, it ended up as one of the top twenty songs of 1930s. Abel Meeropol, a school teacher at New York City inspired to write
had the capacity of not only reflecting cultural and social developments of her time and exploring the themes of social injustice and racism, but of sparking a new level of social consciousness within society with her performance of the song ‘Strange Fruit’, which
Everything about the song “Strange Fruit” and its origins is a bit unorthodox. In1937 Abel Meeropol (a member of the American Communist Party) written and published a poem called “Bitter Fruit” which revise in this powerful protest song. This music song by Billie Holiday, it was one of the sparkle in the Civil Right Movements. This song expose a cognitive image of the unhuman of the lynching and racial segregation toward Black American that was happening in the Deep Southern State of the United
Strange Fruit The poem “Strange Fruit” ,written by Abel Meeropol, conveys a very strong message about how racist the white people were to the black people. Adel graduated from Dewitt Clinton in 1921 and he went back to teach there for 17 more years. He was inspired to write this intense poem when he saw a picture of a white crowd around two black people who had been hanged. The white people’s faces didn’t seem to be bothered by the site; in fact they seemed to have a carnival type of atmosphere
We will always wonder the sad, unfortunate death about the judgement against racism in American’s history. A song called, “Strange Fruit” is perhaps one of the greatest poem and song ever written to protest the hatred of discrimination to colors. This poem was written by a Jewish white high school male teacher named Abel Meeropol, who was inspired by a haunted photographic picture of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith being lynched in Marron, Indiana. After seeing an image of the lynch, Meeropol was deeply
“Strange Fruit”, sung by Billie Holiday and written by Abel Meeropol, is considered one of the first protest songs, being called by jazz writer Leonard Feather. “Strange Fruit” reflects the social environment and racial discrimination experienced by black Americans in the early 1900s. Lynching was one of many products of racism in America, and one of the various results of racial discrimination experienced by black Americans in the United States at the time, alongside disenfranchisement, segregation
The Meaning Behind “Strange Fruit” The title of the poem is “Strange Fruit” by Abel Meeropol. The date of the publication was in 1937 and was recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. Abel Meeropol was inspired to write this poem from a old photograph of a lynching. He was haunted for days with this picture in mind and then decided to put his thoughts into words in this beautiful yet haunting poem “Strange Fruit.” The powerful imagery In Abel Meeropol’s poem, “Strange Fruit,” reveals the brutal reality
performed “Strange Fruit.” "Strange Fruit" is known as "the original song of protest," it was first performed by Billie Holiday however many others have performed their version of the song. The song
“Strange Fruit” Poetry Analysis Abel Meeropol wrote the poem “Strange Fruit” in 1937 and was sung and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1937. It was during this time in the South were discrimination took a turned to a vehement bloodshed. The practice of lynching grew very notorious in the South, and a picture of two lynched bodies, terrified and haunted Abel until he wrote his poem :strange Fruit”. Alas, the powerful imagery in Abel Meeropol poem reveals the brutal reality of racism in America during
Throughout the years the way of acting upon opinions has changed whether it be for better or worse. Between TKAM, Strange Fruit, and the McDonald case article all have examples of social in justice, specifically racism and all the uproars of the negativity racism gives to people and their the evilness of their behavior. Each source has every way of trying to show the realness behind the negativity of racism. TKAMB has a negative overlook on white to black racism and how rudely and disgustingly they
Pre-Show opens on a group of protestors standing in a line with their arms up in surrender pose. They hold picket signs with the phrase “hands up don’t shoot” painted on. ‘Strange Fruit’ by Billie Holiday plays. As audience settle a blackout happens. Scene 1 Scene opens on white officer, Darren Wilson, stood CSR facing a video camera on a tripod. DW is a well-dressed, confident looking man; however, his appearance is not one we trust. He looks comfortable in front of the camera as if he was with
“Strange Fruit” is a song written by Abel Meeropol and was made famous by the singer Billie Holliday. The big release of the song was in 1939, although it was written a few years before. Meeropol was weary about letting it out to the larger public, so he had it played in meetings, benefits, and house parties. Meeropol originally wrote it as a poem, which was inspired by a photograph of lynching. The song has historical context and is better understood once the listener knows some of the background
Billie Holiday could be considered one of the most influential women in jazz, if not one of the most influential women in general. She was one of the first to incorporate anti-racist ideals and progressive thoughts through the outlet of music, influencing many others down the road. Her intense desire for equality and change could be due to the immense amounts of hardship during her younger years, which may have very well carried over into her adult singing career. Billie Holiday was abandoned at
“Strange Fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees” (Meeropol 4). This is a line well said by the author, Abel Meeropol. Abel Meeropol was a Jewish man who was labeled as a communist. The date that this poem was released was 1937. Abel’s motivation to “Strange Fruit” was when he saw an image of a lynching. Robert and Michael, the two boys that Abel adopted. Were the kids of biological parents, Julius, and Ethel Rosenberg. Although, the boys are adopted, Abel still treats them as if they were one of his
Jean Toomer’s poem “Portrait in Georgia” and Billie Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit” are both similar because they discuss the inequalities African Americans had to endure. For instance, in Toomer’s poem, he talks about a woman being lynched. Each part of the woman is described in connection to the abuse that the African Americans had to experience. Toomer compares her hair to a rope that would be used to lynch slaves. The woman’s eyes are represented as the wood that would burn the African Americans