Billie Holiday highlights Black History Month

By Jazmin Perea / Special to LFN

The month of February marks the start of Black History Month, which is a time to recognize the remarkable things African-American men and women have contributed to America and the rest of the world.

One person that contributed greatly was Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday. She was an African-American jazz singer with almost 30 years of experience as a musician. She was well known for many songs, but especially for “Strange Fruit,” which she recorded in 1939 and was about racism in America, particulary the lynching of African-Americans.

When she first performed the song, the whole room was stunned at her courage for performing such a controversial song. It opened peoples’ eyes about the reality of what was happening in America at the time.

In 1978 her version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In years ahead she was awarded with many other honors, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Rock ’N’ Roll Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and in 1944 the United States Postal Service introduced a Billie Holiday postage stamp.

Jazmin Perea is currently an 11th-grader at La Feria High School.