HOUSTON– A captivating chapter, “A Case Study Discussion of ‘Strange Fruit’: Teaching and Interdisciplinary-Multimedia Lesson Regarding Vigilante Justice and Racism in the United States” in which pivotal points of conversation unfold for teaching and learning purposes, revealing initiatives that can begin at the course level and carry through a student’s overall academic journey.

“It is crucial for educators to foster a learning environment where truth-filled history can promote a multicultural education by allowing students to understand the emotional gravity of issues using tolerance, compassion, and an open mind.”

“Education is powerful and transforms people’s lives, so if I learn something, I absorb it,” says Associate Professor, Debra E. Clark of the College of Human Sciences and Humanities at the University of Houston, Clear Lake.

In the summer of 2018, Clark and her mum Pat Garrett, were on their way to their family cottage in Canada but quickly ended up taking an unexpected detour to Marion, Indiana. The confined space of that car would soon expand into a journey of learning for Clark. To keep each other’s mind sharp and alert on the long drive, Clark and her mum would read to each other, taking turns reading from “Inspired! True Stories behind Famous Art, Literature, Music and Film,” written by Maria Bukhonina. One chapter in particular happened to contain Abel Meeropol’s poem “Strange Fruit” which would later be recorded as a song by Billie Holiday, sparking the Civil Rights Movement. This moment in time set off an interest and curiosity in the women, creating a need to immediately go directly to the source of the powerful piece and dive deep into what would become a stark reminder of racial violence and injustice.

“Racism is unethical.” I wasn’t raised like that, she says in regards to the horrific events that took place in the Marion, Indiana courthouse.
The piece “Strange Fruit,” can be seen by many as a powerful symbol of the lynching of two young African American men in the 1930s. According to NAACP, from 1882 to 1968, nearly 5,000 Black Americans were lynched and recently in May 25, 2020, the very publicized video of George Floyd elicited an even more global response.
Clark’s chapter draws strong parallels between historical vigilante actions such as lynchings and modern-day vigilantism in response to perceived injustices. Clark’s case study emphasizes an interdisciplinary and multimedia approach to teaching these complex issues such as racial inequality and discrimination. The incorporation of different media into teaching such as songs, videos, literature, and historical documents. The access to different media for one topic helps students engage with the emotional and intellectual aspects of social justice issues as it evolved over time via a specific medium. It is crucial for educators to foster a learning environment where truth-filled history can promote a multicultural education by allowing students to understand the emotional gravity of issues using tolerance, compassion, and an open mind.

Strange Fruit 
By Lewis Allen

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.

Pastoral scene of the gallant South,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh,
And the sudden smell of burning flesh!

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

Copyright permission from the family obtained by Dr. Clark

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