THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF A SONG

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

These are the opening words to one of the world's most famous protest songs. Its music and lyrics were written by Abel Meeropol (pen name Lewis Allan), a Bronx public school teacher — but are often attributed to Billie Holiday, who first sang "Strange Fruit" in 1939 at Barney Josephson's Café Society, New York's first integrated nightclub.

The history of this anti-lynching song explores the alliance between American Jews and African-Americans in the struggle for civil rights.

With:
Billie Holiday, Amiri Baraka, Abbey Lincoln, Pete Seeger, Cassandra Wilson, and Michael and Robby Meeropol.

(2002, 57 minutes)