Strange Fruit & James H. Cone

I am taking a Black Theology class this quarter and one of the books we are reading is by James H. Cone. Dr. Cone is one of the foremost Black theologians.

Take a look at his Bill Moyers interview from November 23, 2007:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11232007/watch.html

“With the noose and the lynching tree entering the national discussion in the wake of recent news events, Bill Moyers interviews theologian James Cone about how these powerful images relate to the symbol of the cross and how they signify both tragedy and triumph.”
Click the title below to hear Billie Holiday sing the song.

Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday

Southern trees bear 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,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.

Here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.