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Strange Fruit

An exploration of the history and legacy of "Strange Fruit," the song first recorded by Billie Holliday in 1939 which has become an enduring anthem of American civil rights.

Premiere Date

April 8, 2003

Length

60 minutes

Funding Type

Co-Production

Radio stations banned it, but when Billie Holiday sang "Strange Fruit" the whole world listened anyway. Sprung from the pen of a Bronx schoolteacher, the hit continues to mesmerize musicians and civil rights advocates alike with its chilling vision of a lynching. Strange Fruit shows how a little-known Jewish songwriter and an African American icon created a song that changed America.