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COMMENTARY: Lady Day and The Lights!

TEXAS METRO NEWS — That need to entertain herself while entertaining others made Billie Holiday worth the price of admission at any cost. She was a legend. Sadly, though, her addiction to the drugs that eventually quieted her voice was too much for her. In fact, by the time she had had enough, the effects had silenced one of the most extraordinary vocal talents in our history. “Southern trees bear a strange fruit,” Billie Holiday sang.
The post COMMENTARY: Lady Day and The Lights! first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2024

Oakland Post

Quit Playin’

By Vincent L. Hall | Texas Metro News

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
– Strange Fruit – as recorded by Billie Holiday

Lights Up!

It’s Women’s History Month and there are more heroines that get left out than featured. “Lady Day” brought some sunlight to one of the darkest eras of modern American history. You know that American history they keep trying to erase. Eleanora Fagan Gough, aka Billie Holiday, aka Lady Day, made a statement that bears rehearsal and rethinking. She once said, “we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough.”

Her statement is more relevant today than most of us realize. Billie Holiday was a talented singer who broke through the color barrier with considerable force. She sang the Blues in a classy, connective, and convincing fashion. When she hit the stage, and the spotlight fell upon her, you never knew what to expect. In conversations with the “Lady,” she admitted that she was bored of singing the same song the same way night after night.

That need to entertain herself while entertaining others made her worth the price of admission at any cost. She was a legend. Sadly, though, her addiction to the drugs that eventually quieted her voice was too much for her. In fact, by the time she had had enough, the effects had silenced one of the most extraordinary vocal talents in our history. “Southern trees bear a strange fruit,” Billie Holiday sang.

It was the same fruit Ida B. Wells chronicled in her 1892 report, Southern Horrors, and the same fruit W.E.B. Du Bois alludes to in “Of the Coming of John”— “And the world whistled in his ears.” Holiday, a Black Catholic, continues her sorrowful song: “Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.” According to Biography Online: “In March 1939, a 23-year-old Billie Holiday walked up to the mic at West 4th’s Cafe Society in New York City to sing her final song of the night.

Per her request, the waiters stopped serving and the room went completely black, save for a spotlight on her face. And then she sang, softly in her raw and emotional voice: “Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black body swinging in the Southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees…”

When Holiday heard the lyrics, she was deeply moved by them — not only because she was a Black American but also because the song reminded her of her father, who died at 39 from a fatal lung disorder, after being turned away from a hospital because he was a Black man. Because of the painful memories it conjured, Holiday didn’t enjoy performing “Strange Fruit” but knew she had to.

“It reminds me of how Pop died,” she said of the song in her autobiography. “But I have to keep singing it, not only because people ask for it, but because 20 years after Pop died, the things that killed him are still happening in the South.” Strange fruit emanated from a peculiar place.

Although Wells, DuBois, and other Negro leaders laid the foundation for the song, its penman was the son of Russian immigrants. Lewis Allan, published under the pseudonym Abel Meeropol, wrote an article called “Bitter Fruit” for publication in a magazine for unionized teachers. Parenthetically, Meeropol was the DeWitt Clinton high school classmate of Countee Cullen.

Cullen was a brilliant poet, playwright, and novelist in his own right. The Moral: Integration and diversity matter! In its infancy, “Strange Fruit” originated as a protest poem against the lynchings that set the South ablaze in terror. In the poem, Meeropol expressed his horror at the lynchings of African Americans, inspired by Lawrence Beitler’s photograph of the 1930 lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, IN.

The problem of lynchings and hangings, both public and covert, was magnified in America because of Lawrence Beitler’s photography. Billie Holiday’s vocal version gave the injustice of the killings more context and conviction.

“When Holiday finished, the spotlight turned off. When the lights came back on, the stage was empty. She was gone. And per her request, there was no encore. This was how Holiday performed “Strange Fruit,” which she would determinedly sing for the next 20 years until her untimely death at the age of 44. Lights down! Quit Playin’!

Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, award-winning columnist and a lifelong Drapetomaniac!

The post COMMENTARY: Lady Day and The Lights! first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Smooth Ride! Car Suspension & Comfort Tested #shorts

Smooth suspension meets surprisingly spacious legroom. Experience true comfort on any road!

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Car suspension test demonstrating a smooth ride, comfort features, and handling on various terrains.

Experience the difference smooth suspension makes on rough streets. Check out the surprisingly good second-row legroom – test it yourself for true comfort.

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61 years since Selma, Houston leaders say the bridge remains to be crossed

61 years after Selma, Houston leaders say the fight for equality continues. The issues that sparked the marches still impact Black Americans today.

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Oakland Post

Houston leaders discuss the ongoing struggle for civil rights 61 years after Selma, emphasizing the need for continued action.

It has been 61 years since the Selma marches. But political leaders in Houston say that the issues protesters were marching for still plague the lives of Black Americans.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

3 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.