what makes her life a phenomenal story is that she  had the government against her because she wanted  

to sing strange fruit which was a song about  lynching and they told her no black body swings  

a song about important things you know things that  are going on in the country strange fruit in the  

black community it's almost like this battle cry  no one would allow us to speak on it the only way  

to get into the hearts and living rooms of america  was through song it's really the story of her  

being one of the first freedom fighters because  it was her singing that song unapologetically and  

defiantly that reinvigorated the civil rights  movement and that's what they hated her for

get her off that stage

after seeing strange fruit you know police would  be shooting into her car as she's driving away  

anslinger was the director of the federal bureau  of narcotics he wanted to make an example out  

of her no matter how hard he tries she still  gets up and she wins the hearts of the crowd  

and this infuriates her we've warned her to stop  singing the song if i don't sing it who will  

it showed that real resistance existed way back  then it was timely still timely and the naacp  

says billy holliday is the voice of our people  i want people to walk away knowing that you can  

make a change because that's exactly what billy  holliday did strange fruit hanging you think i'm  

gonna stop singing that song you grandkids will  be singing strange fruit from the poplar trees