Happy Juneteenth
June 19th is a very important historical day for people of African descent in America. It's viewed by many as the day that slaves were (legally) freed and marks plenty of "Juneteenth" celebrations all over the country to this day. The first real celebrations began in Galveston, Texas, then spread across the South, into the North, and eventually nationwide which is where we're at now. For folks that don't know much about Juneteenth, clicking on the link above will give you a really good primer on its history.
Unfortunately, the terror of slavery and life in the South seemingly got worse for most blacks after 1865 and that's a big part of what Billie Holiday is singing about in this chilling anti-racism song, "Strange Fruit." It's a simple yet hair raising ode to "black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze." I'm not sure what year this video was recorded, but it is powerful.
4 comment(s)
Kendyl says:
Not that I'm taking credit for your blog idea, but you're welcome. :)
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 19 2009 @ 11:35AM
Gwendolyn says:
Great clip. Juneteenth celebrations in Pratt Park this weekend!
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 19 2009 @ 11:56AM
Hannah Levin says:
Love that clip. On a somewhat related tip, there's a completely amazing clip of Nina Simone doing "Three Women" out there on the Youtubes that you should look for...
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 19 2009 @ 11:59AM
sara says:
all of bille's stuff is powerful, but this song gives me chills every time.
Posted On: Friday, Jun. 19 2009 @ 1:18PM