Then (2015), Chasing the Scream
The Anslinger-Holiday Story: Historical Accuracy
Harry Anslinger personally targeted Billie Holiday because she sang 'Strange Fruit', an anti-lynching song, and he viewed her as politically dangerous. Her heroin addiction was the tool; suppressing her voice was the goal.
contested
Hari's account of the Anslinger-Holiday relationship drew criticism from historians including Jonathan Zimmermann and music critics following the 2021 film adaptation. John Szwed's biography of Holiday, reviewed alongside Hari's account, found that while Anslinger's enforcement was racially motivated, the specific claim that Strange Fruit was the direct trigger for his targeting of Holiday is not fully documented. Hari acknowledged some overstated claims on his corrections page. The broader argument, that the drug war's enforcement was racially selective, is well-documented; the specific Holiday narrative is narrative compression of more complex events.
Sources
- Hari, Chasing the Scream (2015)
- Szwed, Billie Holiday: The Musician and the Myth (2015)
- Hari, Questions & Corrections, chasingthescream.com