Strange Fruit

I chose to depict the many black lives lost to lynching. I chose this subject because I thought it is a perfect example of a modern-day crucifixion--it's designed not only to kill someone, but to publicly shame them and humiliate them, and the body is left hanging as a lesson or threat for all to see.

I tried to depict the words of the song, Strange Fruit, written by Abel Meeropol:
"Southern trees bearing strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the roots Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees"

My intention was to make a literal depiction of the words of the song, showing a black body hanging from a tree, and the tree with drops of blood on the leaves and the roots (no, they are not apples).