Abel Meeropol

American author and songwriter

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July 22, 2026

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Abel Meeropol was an American author and songwriter who wrote the powerful anti-lynching protest song "Strange Fruit". He was also a high school teacher, composer, and social activist.12

Meeropol was inspired to write the poem, originally titled "Bitter Fruit," after seeing a photograph of the 1930 lynching of two Black teenagers in Marion, Indiana. The song uses the metaphor of "strange fruit" hanging from trees to represent the bodies of lynched Black individuals.12

The song was first recorded in 1939 by jazz singer Billie Holiday, and her performance brought increased public awareness to the violence and oppression of lynching against Black Americans. Holiday's recording is considered a signature song and has received numerous accolades, including induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame.12

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Strange Fruit
…by American author and songwriter Abel Meeropol and first recorded in 1939 by American jazz singer Billie Holiday. Meeropol wrote the poem that became “Strange Fruit” after seeing a horrifying photograph of the 1930 lynching of two Black teenagers in Marion, Indiana. “Southern trees bear strange fruit,” the first line…
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…by American author and songwriter Abel Meeropol and first recorded in 1939 by American jazz singer Billie Holiday. Meeropol wrote the poem that became “Strange Fruit” after seeing a horrifying photograph of the 1930 lynching of two Black teenagers in Marion, Indiana. “Southern trees bear strange fruit,” the first line…
Read More