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 and Scribe Video Center for a walking tour of Billie Holiday’s Philadelphia. The walking tour will be guided by Faye Anderson, whose advocacy led to Billie’s induction into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame.
We’ll visit the venues where Billie sang, the hotels where she stayed, and the site of the jazz club immortalized in the Tony Award®-winning “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.” Along the way, we'll stop at places connected to Nina Simone and Paul Robeson, artists who, like Billie, used their voices to speak truth to power.
Together, we’re reclaiming the narrative through art, memory, and collective action.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher All That Philly Jazz