Lillian Smith | |
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Born | Lillian Eugenia Smith December 12, 1897 Jasper, Florida |
Died | September 28, 1966 | (aged 68)
Resting place | Laurel Falls: Clayton, Georgia |
Occupation | Writer |
Nationality | American |
Citizenship | American |
Education | Piedmont College, Peabody Conservatory |
Literary movement | Civil Rights Movement |
Notable works | Strange Fruit (novel) |
Partner | Paula Snelling |
Lillian Eugenia Smith (December 12, 1897 – September 28, 1966) was a writer and social critic of the Southern United States, known for both her non-fiction and fiction works, including the best-selling novel Strange Fruit (1944). Smith was a White woman who openly embraced controversial positions on matters of race and gender equality. She was a southern liberal who was unafraid to criticize segregation and to work toward the dismantling of Jim Crow laws at a time when such actions virtually guaranteed social ostracism.