Strange Fruit

Overview:
Strange Fruit explores the origins and legacy of Billie Holiday and Jewish-American composer, Abel
Meerpol. The video gives a solid understanding of life in America during the 1920s and 1930s.

As you watch the film, make notes and respond to the following questions in the spaces provided below.
We will be taking up these questions in class.

This video will help prepare you for the issues that will arise in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Therefore, watch closely.

Questions:

1) What were the two media outlets that refused to promote “Strange Fruit”?

2) Which record company agreed to record the song?

3) Where and when was Billie Holiday born?

4) Which northern state did she move to?

5) What were the four things that went on at a lynching?

6) What were the unspoken reasons for lynching? What were the given reasons?
7) What was the name of the first integrated nightclub outside of Harlem? Describe its
significance.

8) Describe Abel Meerpol. Who was he? What did he do for a living? What was his pen name?

9) What inspired Meerpol to write the song?

10) What conflict occurred between Holiday and Meerpol?

11) “A song can have as much as an impression [on a person] as reading a whole novel can”. How
has this video proved that statement to be true?