Strange Fruit: When Personal History Becomes American History

This film tells the story of Billie Holiday’s persecution by the U.S. government—not for her addiction, but for her refusal to stop performing the protest song Strange Fruit.

What makes this evening different is this:

Strange Fruit was originally a poem inspired by a photograph a 1932 lynching in Marion, Indiana. One of these victims was Abram Smith, a half-brother of my grandmother, Imogene Smith. This piece of history is not abstract. It is familial.

This event is both a screening and a remembrance.

Together, we will:

• Watch the film in community
• Learn the historical origins of Strange Fruit
• Reflect on art as resistance, truth-telling, and survival
• Engage in brief guided discussion and reflection honoring memory, lineage, and legacy

NOTE: This event addresses historical racial violence and may be emotionally heavy. Attendees are encouraged to arrive with openness, respect, and care for one another.

• General Admission – $35
• Community Supporter Ticket – $50
  (A portion of proceeds will be donated toward our family reunion and legacy preservation efforts.)

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Emagine Noblesville, 13825 Norell Road, Noblesville, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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