Lillian Smith (author) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lillian Smith
Born	Lillian Eugenia Smith (1897-12-12)December 12, 1897 Jasper, Florida
Died	September 28, 1966(1966-09-28) (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 (born December 12, 1897 – died September 28, 1966) was an American writer. She was also a social critic, meaning she wrote about problems in society. Lillian Smith was known for her books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her most famous book was the novel Strange Fruit (1944).

Lillian Smith was a white woman who spoke out about important issues. She believed in equal rights for all people, no matter their race or gender. She was a liberal thinker from the Southern United States. She bravely criticized segregation and worked to end Jim Crow laws. These laws kept Black and white people separate and unequal. Speaking out against these laws was very difficult at the time.

Early Life and Education

Lillian Smith was born on December 12, 1897, in Jasper, Florida. She was the seventh of nine children in a well-known family. In 1915, her family faced a big change when her father lost his businesses.

They moved to their summer home in the mountains of Clayton, Georgia. There, her family started the Laurel Falls Camp for Girls in 1920.

As a young adult, Lillian loved music and teaching. She studied at Piedmont College in Georgia from 1915 to 1916. She also attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore in 1917 and 1919.

Later, she worked as a music director at a school in Huzhou, China. Living in China helped her see how unfair things were in the American South. She noticed similarities between how Chinese people were treated and how African Americans were treated in the U.S.

In 1925, Lillian returned from China because her father was ill. She became the head of the Laurel Falls Camp. She led the camp for 23 years, from 1925 to 1948. Under her leadership, the camp became known for teaching arts, music, drama, and modern psychology.

Partnership and Writing Career

While at Laurel Falls Camp, Lillian Smith met Paula Snelling. Paula was a counselor at the camp. They became lifelong partners and worked together on many projects.

In 1936, Lillian and Paula started a small literary magazine called Pseudopodia. This magazine encouraged writers, both Black and White, to share honest thoughts about life in the South. It spoke out against poverty and racial injustice. The magazine changed its name twice, first to North Georgia Review in 1937, then to South Today in 1942. It stopped publishing in 1945.

In 1944, Smith published her bestselling novel, Strange Fruit. This book was about a relationship between a Black person and a white person. This topic was very controversial at the time. The book was banned in some cities, like Boston and Detroit, for its language. It was also not allowed to be sent through the U.S. mail. However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt lifted the ban after his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, asked him to.

In 1949, Smith wrote Killers of the Dream. This book was a collection of essays. In it, she tried to explain and challenge the racist traditions of the Old South. She warned that racial segregation harmed people's souls. She also wrote about how it negatively affected women and children.

Civil Rights Activism

Lillian Smith began to openly discuss the problems of segregation at Laurel Falls Camp. She used the camp as a place to talk about social issues, like the dangers of inequality. She wanted to help improve society for everyone.

In 1955, the Civil Rights Movement gained national attention with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Smith had already been talking with many Black and white people in the South about these issues for years.

After the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which made segregation in schools illegal, she wrote Now Is the Time (1955). In this book, she urged people to follow the new court decision. She called the ruling "every child's Magna Carta", meaning it was a great step for children's rights. She believed that integrating society was important for both Black and white people.

Lillian Smith wrote many speeches and books about the need for desegregation and civil rights. She was close with Martin Luther King Jr. and supported groups like CORE and SNCC. She lived to see the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act passed, which were major victories for equality.

Key Works

Lillian Smith wrote several important books that received both praise and criticism.

• Strange Fruit (1944): This novel explored interracial relationships in the South. It was controversial and banned in some places due to its themes.
• Killers of the Dream (1949): In this book, Smith shared her childhood memories of growing up in the segregated South. She discussed how segregation and certain Southern beliefs affected both Black and white children and adults.
• Now Is the Time (1955): This work focused on the desegregation of the South and civil rights for Black Americans. She challenged racist cultural norms.
• The Journey (1954): This book explored the idea of white privilege. Later in the book, Smith also wrote about her personal struggle with breast cancer.

Death

Lillian Smith fought breast cancer for many years, starting in the early 1950s. She passed away from the disease on September 28, 1966, at the age of 68. Her book The Journey (1954) shares some details about her battle with cancer. She is buried at Laurel Falls camp in Clayton, Georgia.

Legacy

Today, Strange Fruit is still her most famous work. It has been translated into 15 languages.

In 1999, Lillian Smith received the Georgia Women of Achievement Award.

Since 1968, the Lillian Smith Book Awards have been given out every year. This is the oldest and best-known book award in the South. It honors authors who write about the American South and continue Smith's work of showing unfairness and promoting understanding among people. Her writings help us understand Southern history from after the American Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement.

See also

In Spanish: Lillian Smith para niños