Andra Day "slips into the shoes of legendary activist and abolitionist Angela Davis, portraying her in her 1972 interview from a California prison cell. The interview, captured in The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975, features Davis in an orange turtleneck, elegantly eviscerating questions from a Swedish journalist about the use of violence by members of the Black Panthers as a means of survival.

For Day, Davis is the kind of activist Holiday would have worked alongside had she lived long enough to see the rise of the Black Panthers. It’s the kind of work she would have supported through her artistry, Day says, likening her to actors like Harry Belafonte, who used their stardom to spotlight the civil rights movement. The “Tigress & Tweed” video includes a nod to Holiday, featuring a gardenia, the singer’s signature flower, on the table in the foreground. 

“When they think of civil rights, when they think of the Black Liberation Army, when they think of the Panthers, I want [people] to think of Billie Holiday,” Day said. “Her spirit filled Angela Davis.”

See full story on Vanity Fair here: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/03/andra-day-tigress-and-tweed-music-video

Director: Myriam Santos
http://myriamsantos.com

The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Music from the Motion Picture) is out now: https://andraday.lnk.to/usvsbillieholiday

The United States vs. Billie Holiday, directed by Lee Daniels. Streaming now on Hulu.
Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/USi-ppCfxEA

Connect with Andra:
https://instagram.com/andradaymusic
https://www.facebook.com/AndraDayMusic
https://twitter.com/AndraDayMusic
http://andraday.com/

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