Fall of Freedom: Billie Holiday's Philadelphia Walking Tour

Led by Dread Scott and Lynn Nottage, Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to stand united against the assault on our constitutional rights. Fall of Freedom is an open invitation to artists, creators, and culture workers to stand for democracy and for the freedom to tell the full story.

In the spirit of Nina Simone, who said an artist’s duty is to reflect the times, Fall of Freedom is building cultural roadblocks to defend artistic expression and truth-telling without fear of retaliation.

No artist reflected the times more powerfully than Billie Holiday, whose recording of “Strange Fruit” was named Song of the Century by Time magazine in 1999 and included in the National Recording Registry in 2002. “Strange Fruit” remains a timeless act of resistance.

During Fall of Freedom weekend of resistance, join All That Philly Jazz Director Faye Anderson and Scribe Video Center for a walking tour of Billie Holiday’s Philadelphia. We’ll visit sites associated with Lady Day. The stops include the last place where Billie Holiday performed in Philadelphia, four months before her tragic death in 1959.

Along the way, we'll stop at places associated with Nina Simone and Paul Robeson, artists who fearlessly spoke truth to power.

Together, we’re reclaiming the narrative through art, memory, and collective action.