Strange Fruit: lynching in America
I spent most of the day today looking at a dark, sad and violent era in U.S. History. Jim Crow laws had s terrorizing effect on the African American. Simple offenses like stealing, disrespecting a white person or as bad as murder and rape could and often did end in an anger induced and mob fueled lynching. It was an ugly, cruel form of punishment that was sometimes directed at innocent men both black and white. More than 4,000 lynchings recorded in 60 years of our history. The lyrics of the song below and pictures/stories paint a clear picture of why this should not be forgotten and pushed aside. It also shows the power of the media to help bring an end to terror . --------- strange fruit, Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. Pastoral scene of the gallant south, The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh, ...