Singing the Terrible Truth: Billie Holiday and "Strange Fruit," 1939

Singing the Terrible Truth: Billie Holiday and "Strange Fruit," 1939

From The Art of Resistance by Rebel Yell Creative

January 12, 2026 · 22 min · Season 2 · Episode 1

About this episode

This episode explores the impact of Billie Holiday's song 'Strange Fruit' and its significance in the context of art as resistance.

How has one song stunned for nearly a century? How was it so powerful that the federal government targeted the singer for decades? And what can we learn from the story of “Strange Fruit” and Billie Holiday about how art is resistance? This is The Art of Resistance, a podcast about using writing, music, and all kinds of art to resist the status quo. The show is made by Rebel Yell Creative and Amy Lee Lillard. _____ Watch the performance of "Strange Fruit" from 1956, mentioned in this episode. Get full episode transcript and sources at RebelYellCreative.com . Mentioned in this episode: Get more art as resistance! Sign up for the free newsletter at rebelyellcreative.com, and get stories and tips every week. The Art of Resistance is a podcast for the artists, the lovers of art, and people who want to resist but don’t know how. These stories are designed to help us find inspiration from the past, and empower us all to find some hope for today and tomorrow. Thanks for listening.

People in this episode

Hosts: Amy Lee Lillard, Rebel Yell Creative

Topics covered

  • art as resistance
  • Billie Holiday
  • Strange Fruit
  • government targeting
  • music history
  • cultural impact

Keywords

  • Billie Holiday
  • Strange Fruit
  • art resistance
  • music history
  • cultural impact
  • government targeting

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Strange Fruit

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