How the U.S. Government Tried to Kill Billie Holiday’s Protest Song

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00:00How the US government tried to kill Billie Holiday's protest song

00:04Federal agents harassed and surveilled Billie Holiday,

00:07destroying her career for performing Strange Fruit.

00:10Harry Anslinger, head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics,

00:13used narcotics laws to silence her song against white supremacy.

00:18This wasn't about drugs.

00:20Strange Fruit transformed lynching from whispered horror into public indictment.

00:25Holiday's performance forced America to confront its violence,

00:28challenging white supremacy.

00:30Anslinger saw it as dangerous, threatening the entire oppressive system.

00:34Government agents used all means to silence Holiday's voice.

00:38Ignoring Anslinger, she faced federal backlash.

00:40Agent Jimmy Fletcher, a black narcotics officer, surveilled her,

00:44and Louis McKay, her own husband, aided authorities for her arrest.

00:48After her 1947 trial landed her in federal prison for a year,

00:53authorities revoked her cabaret card,

00:55eliminating her ability to perform in jazz clubs.

00:57The harassment never stopped.

01:01On her deathbed in 1959,

01:03narcotics agents raided Holiday's hospital room,

01:06handcuffed her, and restricted visitors.

01:08Despite every suppression attempt, Holiday performed Strange Fruit.

01:12Each performance defied censorship,

01:15asserting her refusal to let authorities dictate American art.

01:18This song endured through her perseverance,

01:21turning her persecution into a testament to artistic freedom and resilience.

01:25Today, when protest songs still trigger government surveillance

01:29and social media companies quietly suppress dissent,

01:32Holiday's resistance feels prophetic.

01:34She proved that the most dangerous thing an artist can do is tell the truth.