Born: 1897 in Jasper, Florida
In her books, Lillian Smith writes openly about racism and segregation
She used to be a music teacher but eventually began her literary career when she co-edited a journal for a friend
She captured fame when the novel Strange Fruit was published
This story was of a white man in a small Southern Town
Many of the white supremacy crowds did not like this book and reviewed it very crudely
However the book Strange Fruit sold over 3 million copies and was translated into over 14 different languages
She mainly published fiction and non-fiction books
In 1968, the award called the Lillian Smith Book Awards was named after her
This award is given to very serious and well-crafted authors
Death: 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia