Lillian eugenia smith biography
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Lillian Smith (author)
American novelist (–)
Lillian Smith | |
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| Born | Lillian Eugenia Smith ()December 12, Jasper, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | September 28, () (aged&#;68) |
| Resting place | Laurel Falls: Clayton, Georgia, U.S. |
| 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, – September 28, ) 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 (). Smith was a White woman who openly embraced controversial positions on matters of race and gender equality. She was a southernliberal 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.
Early life
[edit]Smith was born on December 12, , to a prominent family in Jasper, Florida, the seventh of nine children. Her life as the daughter of an upper middle-class civic and business leader took an abrupt turn in when her father lost his turpentine mills. The family was not without resources
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Lillian E. Smith
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She was controversial as many outspoken pioneers are, but she steadfastly maintained the strength of her beliefs: she was the first white woman in the South to write and speak openly against racism and segregation. In her acceptance speech for the CharlesS. Johnson Award given by Fisk University in , she summed up her life-long convictions by saying “Segregation is evil; there is no pattern of life which can dehumanize men as can the way of segregation.” Born in Jasper, Florida, Miss Smith moved to Georgia when she was A talented musician, she was also a teacher. In her many years as director of the Laurel Falls Camp for girls in Clayton, Georgia, Lillian Smith had profound influence on hundreds of young girls by encouraging self honesty, kindness, and trust in addition to physical and intellectual development.
Her writing career began with Pseudopodia, the small literary magazine she co-edited with Paula Snelling as an outlet for liberal writers. Miss Smith often contributed her own articles on race relations. She achieved national fame with the publication ofStrange Fruit, which told the story of a love affair between a white boy and a black girl. The novel, banned in Boston as indecent, created a sensation in Nevertheless, the book was a best sell