I first heard of this song on a machima video with a Billie Holliday singing on Second Life, and then I watch a video of the meaning of how this was written and then I came across your daughter Nia singing, I believe the same way that you do I taught my kids when they were younger about racism. We as black parents should never sugar coat what happen to us in a history of lynchings and hangings. I applaud your daughter for singing this beautiful sad song!
jusqu'ici en France .. la voix de nia résonne. that is the most amazing interpretation i've heard in my life. Your kid is great and she has the right to know history. for it as you say not to repeat
I realize this was posted several years ago but after reading your in depth description I wanted to send you a note of my respect and admiration. i believe in teaching our children with truth and love, aand not only do I find nothing wrong with Nia singing this song, but everything right with it! She is obviously a gifted child and you are obviously a loving and attentive parent. I watched part 3 of her with Earth, Wind and Fire and was impressed with her clearly magical soul!! Bless you!!
She is AWESOME. To be that young, gifted, and black. Not many children can memorize the verses of that song so clearly. Thank you for broadening her musical horizon. Her voice will thank you later!
I think this video is remarkably poignant. We have a 4 year old singing a song that was written 60-70 years before she was born about a world she will thankfully never experience. It clearly highlights how far things have come: she can proudly sing this song on youtube, when Holiday was afraid to sing it and Columbia was afraid to record it.
I'm trying to figure out what people think is inherently wrong about a child singing this song. Every child is different and some are ready to learn about lynching and racism before others. Nia doesn't seem particularly upset by it, and by her Mom's description, she's very advanced for her age. There's no point in lying to her about it, if she is asking. I know people who were introduced to politics and social issues at a very young age, and they turned into exceptionally bright and aware adults
strange fruit was written by a teacher named Abel Meeropol as a poem, who shared it with billie holiday, puting her life on the line and every one around her so she could sing this poem and share it to the world. just thought i would throw that fact out there
Nia, God first, but you are the reason why I take courage, I am 3 1/2 months pregnant and I am faced with a lot of temptations and difficulties to the extend that abortion was one of my option, but every time I watched you, something inside of me tells me that I have this same gift( like you) growing inside of me and it just left my spirit and made me realize that Children are blessing form God . I know that his in control cuz he speaks through you to let me know. U r my # 1
@bebosafetycow No 4yr olds don't need to learn this kind of stuff.This kind of stuff is for grown folks! 4yr olds need to be concerned with preparing to enter school.learning their abc's and 123's.learning about murder can wait a few years.
I completely agree with you & your reasoning. Slavery, as tragic & terrible as it was- happened. People try and sweep it under the rug. Why wouldn't you let her listen to this beautiful history lesson? I love that she really feels the music...this is why i am mesmerized by Billie Holiday; because when I hear her voice, I can feel her pain. Keep doing what you are doing, Nia. You are beautiful.
@JustBeachy100 She is too young.She is 4 yrs old! Luckily she seems to have very sensative and caring parents.Still in general,4 yr old children need to be allowed to grow a little before dealing with adult affairs.She has a "G" rated mind.Lynching is an "R" sometimes "X"rated theme.You would never let a 4 yr old watch porn or listen to say..Richard Pryor.On top of all that Billy holiday is not someone i'd like my daughter to emulate.
As you said, she has very sensitive and caring parents; they seem to be doing just fine raising her...and miss Nia is a beautiful little girl with a huge voice. I am a fan(:
@JustBeachy100 You may be a fan of "Miss"Nia ,but I love Black Woman.And I don't want a 4yr old black female socialized into a victim's identity just to entertain adults who should know better.I would rather this beautiful young lady be socialized into believing she could become a Physicist,or a Micro biologist than another black entertainer with a tragic narrative.
No argument here, Titus. She isn't my daughter, & I am not raising her...so I guess the "adults who should know better" would be her parents. Moving on........
@JustBeachy100 Also that "pain" you claim to hear in her(Billy Holiday's) voice, more likely has to do with the drugs and alcohol she was imbibing than with lynching.
Sadly, Billie Holiday has been more known for her drug abuse than her talent. Yes, she had a drug problem, but this is not what defined her. She was a very talented artist that continues to touch lives.
It is a damned shame that this little girl is singing this ugly, destructive song.She is taking on a victim's identity as If that were her natural birth right.This ain't cute,it's contemptible.This little girl's parents ought to take a lesson from the Asian "tiger" moms.Lets face it,she won't be able to go head to head against a Tiger daughter in ANYTHING outside of American Idol! COME ON!! Give her a CHANCE
Go Mom! Brava for exposing her to such good music!! You are absolutely right on about being careful what you expose her to -- babies this age are little sponges. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess she's seen some of Billies performances (tv, dvd?) Very similar vocal inflections, gestures! :) I am a teacher at my Temple, and you are right we DO teach the holocaust to our children, but we usually wait until @ 6th grade to start working it in. I'll bet you gave an age-appropriate explanation.
@MrsUSN1 "Go Mom!"WTF? I hope you're just being ironic! You don't really think a 4yr old should start acquiring a victim's identity before she learns to spell and do addition? Why, she's got all the time in the world to soak up that "stay on message"of black inferiority from Hollywood.I'd be infinitely more impressed if she took on the gestures and vocal inflections of an Physicist or an Engineer.A little girl mimicking a drug addict, singing a lousy victimhood standard,doesn't do it for me.
@titusact4scene2 Seriously. Your Screen name is a particularly ugly racist scene from Shakespeare, and you get on here to condemn others for teaching their children about some uglier parts of history? That child likely has a childs understanding at best ('bad people did bad things'). You are so busy being self righteous and angry, you are missing that obvious fact. Ever listen to the radio? It's MUCH worse than this. Lil Wayne is okay but Billie Holiday isn't? Whatever.
@MrsUSN1 No you had it right "babies this age are little sponges".Little girls don't grow up and suddenly decide Hey I think I'll have inferiority issues.Hey all I'm good for is entertaining people. I was kinda hoping you "got" the problem of a 4yr old singing about "black bodies swinging", that maybe your comment was irony that fell flat ,but no you're just an idiot. If you think Titus Andronicus Act 4 Scene 2 is racist,then you're even more ignorant than I thought.
@titusact4scene2 Titus... sometimes a song is just a song. If she sang "I'm a little teapot" she surely would not be taking on the "victims identity" of a teapot. She is not developing inferiority complexes, she is singing a song that she liked the sound of. Maybe her ideas @ it changed after learning the stories, who knows, but that doesn't create a complex. Fact is: a child with a background rich in the arts will excel in school, this kid has a bright future. Not arguing w/you, this is done.
Go Mom! Brava for exposing her to such good music!! You are absolutely right on about being careful what you expose her to -- babies this age are little sponges. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess she's seen some of Billies performances (tv, dvd?) Very similar vocal inflections, gestures! :) I am a teacher at my Temple, and you are right we DO teach the holocaust to our children, but we usually wait until @ 6th grade to start working it in. I'll bet you gave an age-appropriate explaination.
I like the message that you are trying to convey and the way the it was presented. I like your mindset, keep the faith, and keep increasing her learing potential.
this brought tears to my eyes, hearing her young voice intertwined with billie's; the voice of a woman who knew and lived through a horrible truth compared to the innocent, trusting voice of a child. the fact she is perceptive enough to understand the suffering conveyed in a song is truly amazing, you should be very proud. we cannot forget the past. we must learn from it. god bless.
I'm up writing a paper for school and I came across this...I don't care what any one says but this is so epic for a child her age to sing...to me this speaks volumes....and do u see how she's trying to feel the song!!!!! its like she already knows....some kids are born with old souls and she is definitely one of them....kudos to you mom! watch out she has a talent....just beautiful :)
@DHS0Cheer9 That is Billie Holiday's spirit in that little girl. She knows and feels what she is saying no doubt about it. A genious child. God bless.
@DHS0Cheer9 That is Billie Holiday's spirit in that little girl. She knows and feels what she is saying no doubt about it. A genious child. God bless.
i just read a text from an eye-witness about the lynichings that happened in the south... i*m from germany and we have this topic now in our english lessons, where we also heard this song... and i feel sick when i read about such things that people can do to other people just because of their skin colour...
@cgoldsmith My name is Nia too:) but my mother wanted me to be uniqe and spelled it Nyah.your daughter is beautiful,and looks like me when i was little.I will agree its a sad song but it has a great meaning,its good your daughter is learning about this a such a young age.God bless you and your daughter.
@brettbrock681 This was two months ago so odds are you don't remember it. But really, fucking really? Damn another person who some how manages to make Obama the bad guy. When all things that have edited what our children learn in the history books were by Republicans and within the past say 5 years. You can call his economic system socialist, but his administration hasn't even scratched the surface of education. shit, how do you even socialize education? That's the equivalent of public school.
I was the same kind of child and my mother held me back rather than embraced it. It did NOT work in my favor so please continue with what you are doing. NOT doing that just leads to a lot of confusion and inability for a child to express what needs to get out.
I applaud the mother of this child! This is OUR history. Some seem to forget that......we can't erase it and she should NEVER forget it! You are NEVER to young to be taught what your ancestors had to endure. During slavery, at the age of 4 black children were being sold, rapped and hung. You have a special gem in Nia. Teach on sista! I'm loving it!
I applaud the mother of this child! This is OUR history. Some seem to forget that......we can't erase it and she should NEVER forget it! You are NEVER to young to be taught what your ancestors had to endure. During slavery, at the age of 4 black children were being sold, rapped and hung. You have a special gem in Nia. Teach on sista! I'm loving it!
TRULY A GENERATION OF IDIOTS!! No doubt if some sicko sees Nia and tracks her down--all of you idiiots will be the first to hold candlelight vigils and lament her being missing--but FEW of you will ever connect the dots between the tragedy and the way the child was positioned in this venue to be placed in harms way. Post your kids on youtube to your own detriment--adults? fine--kids? Be careful. Pets? not the same as kids--my last word on this. May God watch over Nia because momma ain't.
I'm so inspired, I recently posted video's of my children singing on their laptop. I support them being creative and brave, But a lot of the songs are too grown, I have to admit. They copy today's stars, it's not a good look. They dare to be different but everyone wants to be the same these days. Seeing Nia and respecting your points opened my eyes. I won't delete their video's, however I will inspire them to make better decisions b4 recording! Thanks, to you and your beautiful Nia, Sooooo much
@queenbeethatsme9 idk why u even had to ask why!!! the child obviously is being exposed to many facets of music! A well rounded well cultured women is less likely to fall into the snares of todays society!! I am raising my daughter to be a wife not sombodies flunky! I expose her to as much as possible!!In hopes that it broadens her horizons & betters her choices!!! reread my post it was intended to be a compliment! especially after reading some of the ignorance that was posted before me!!
@78blackbarbie --My children have been and will remain exposed to jazz, blues, classical, rock, r and b and rap --but what I do with my children and where I send them (they are world travelers) will NOT be exploited on youtube or any other medium that would open them up to stalking or harassment. I do applaud Nia's mom for teaching her history and even the singing--if I had read about her in Essence, I'd be all for it--this is simply NOT the venue and I maintain that position. IMO and its firm.
Nia will forfill her own destiny!!! I was solely speaking on her talent and it's a beautiful thing to see a lil black girl singing a song from our history!!! I didn't focus on how billie ended up! I am gr8ful that she was! She left us with some beauty even thru all the ugly she experienced!!even tho her life had tragedies she still had some accomplishments that should be acknowledged!!
@queenbeethatsme9 U can't judge her by her down fall ! despite her short comings their still is a beauty n her gift! No matter how ugly it/she is still apart of our history! Knowing where u come from helps plan where u will go! no 1 is sayin she will end up a heroin addict/nor will she be hung from a tree! All of our music from that time even down 2 hymes told the story of us! God blessed Nia &Billie both with a talent! There is beauty even n the ugliest thing!Give billie some credit!dont judge!
@78blackbarbie --I did not judge her by her downfall. I am a huge fan of Billie Holiday--I simply pointed out that knowledge of our past does NOT mean a person is slated for greatness or to be the "wife and not the baby momma" knowing jazz of our collective history only means we are more aware but it does NOT preclude life's choices--to say the child will be a great citizen because she can mimic Billie is silly.
cgoldsmith: I am so adamantly against seeing your child performing on line--it is that you put your baby on youtube. Here in Kansas an 18 year old girl was tracked down by a persistent stalker--she never knew him--he was outside her home having researched her for months--he killed her after raping her and ditched his car just down the st from the suburb I live in-- videos of Target show him grabbing her--and all of that, was because he was able to choose his victim from the internet.
My grown daughter was shocked to meet a man who traveled from England and sought her out--after pics of her were seen on a friends facebook page. YOU have a choice of who can see your daughter--you chose to put her in a venue with millions of viewers and YOU don't even know who they are, what their agendas are or the resources they might have if your child somehow gets their interest. THAT is why I feel you have done your child a disservice and you have NOT thought about all of THIS.
note: this man kept showing up at her college and finally approached her and told her how she had captivated him--he said some people come to the US to see the Grand Canyon or NY--he came to meet my child--who was totally creeped out, not only about how he did it--but that for at least a week he hung on the periphery of her crowd and found out about her from a friend's picture and info. Youtube is NOT a safe venue, the internet is like a catalog of kids provided courtesy of doting parents.
@queenbeethatsme9 Everything thing that happens is dean sweetheart, if it's going to happen believe me you can't stop it from hiding, live!!!!!! You can't hide your self from knowledge and exposure because of weirdo's!!!!! You'll never achieve, experience, trust, or grow!!!!! This is beautiful and for the better. And as I understand we're bombarding because it was actually posted for family communication and contact... ILY for teaching, exposing, and spending so much time w/ her, ur the best MOM
@nclboyd --so speaks a child. Almost everything we do is a consequence of actions and reactions. Consequences--they teach that in kindergarten., My kids (all are grown except one) have traveled all over the world, white water rafted, hiked in Peru, sky dived , swam off the barrier reef, etc--we do live--but we live wisely as well as well which may be why we live to see another day--your post indicates fatalism (whatever will be will be) and shows no responsibility for one's own actions--
@queenbeethatsme9 --as for knowledge, ALL ,my kids as well as myself are college educated and probably know more about history/civil rights and societal challenges than YOU will ever know. We also participate in charities, ecological and peace marches etc--the point is that non thinking is behind many tragedies to do with children This is NOT the proper venue as there are no safeguards and parents who use such a source are unwittingly advertising their kids for good or ill.
What is disconcerting is the smile on her face--because as young as she is--the baby has NO IDEA what she is singing nor what the images portend or what is conjured up--she is a parrot--repeating what she is learned to mimic--with no idea what it is about--in her pretty little dress--in a way--it is a sort of mockery of what the song is about. I hope at some point, her family spends as much time letting her view the pictures of the hanging in Marion, IN and read the story of Edgars...
@risrange09 --if she KNEW what she was actually singing about--she would not be smiling--she would sing it in the appropriate vein--but she is too young to know what her mommy has her doing--it is exploitative--if NIA understood what she was singing, she most likely would be crying--bet she does not even know what a magnolia is--let along metaphors describing dead men as fruit.
@queenbeethatsme9 O_o....i'll bet you're the kind of person who comments on videos of cats meowing and then criticizes the cat owner for not figuring out "why for God sake is it meowing??" Settle down queenbee. NO ONE'S parenting is perfect, and I doubt letting her sing a little song is going to hurt her. you might a well say its exploitive to post any video at all on this website, because there ae thousands of videos of people and their kids and their dogs on this website.
@risrange09 I couldn't care about cats meowing. but molestation are crimes of opportunity and for too many children it takes an inconsiderate or ignorant parent placing them in harms way and not thinking about the ramifications of their actions. You tube should not be a forum to have babies make a stage debut--"mom" can neither control who has access or what they do with pics she provided. it is common sense. It is not an appropriate song for a child AND youtube is NOT the appropriate venue.
@risrange09 --it is not exploitative if people post things about themselves--but a child cannot consent and knows no better--a child looks to parents for guidance and protection--putting any child in a meat market (and that is what the internet is) is irresponsible. In my city, a girl on MySpace was tracked down by an unknown guy who carjacked her, then raped and strangled her--she never knew him--but due to MySpace he knew her and admitted to shopping for someone like her by trolling sites.
....Murdered..Etc. I think it should be known all of the different practices that happened not just to NAtive Americans or African Americans, but what happened to the white population as well. All were judged by their peers, whether they were right or not and all suffered.
@sorrowofherevil --being judged by peers for actions is one thing--a person can help their actions. Being able to hide on a reservation or move away is another--but having to stay a slave or sharecropper and being killed for the color of one's skin is something very different entirely. Teaching her kid to sing this song is NOT teaching peace--the child has no idea what the hell she is singing about--her "smile" as she swishes her dress says it all--she is just pleasing her momma.
I have a few things to say. The first is WAY TO GO!!! Billie Holiday is a goddess and this song is absolutely amazing! Nia does an amazing job of it! Keep encouraging her talent cause she has SUCH a talent already!!!! Amazing!!!
Myh second thing to say, and I'm sure that I'll get some negative feedback on this...It wasn't just African Americans that were lynched in the old days. A lot of American Indians were as well, and white men who beat their wives/children, and those who stole...
@sorrowofherevil --white men were lynched who beat their wives and children? But don't you see? For whites to be lynched they had to do some sort of wrong--for Indians to be lynched may have been similar to blacks being lynched--for a black to be lynched--he had to do NOTHING--except be in the wrong place at the wrong time..THAT is and remains the DIFFERENCE!!
@sorrowofherevil --you basically are equating the treatment of a people based on their skin color to crimes like wife beating and stealing--as if black skin was a crime on par with what white men did --a white man could NOT beat his wife and did not have to steal--and an Indian could stay on the reservation or move away and hide out in the hills--but blacks had no where to go and no matter what--their skin went with them--NOT THE SAME!!
I love it! Keep teaching your child her history. It's funny to me how we can shove every other culture's history down our children's throat yet when it comes to sharing our own history, people want to keep it hushed. Don't we matter as much as the next? Or does our silence bring a level of comfort to the masses? Nia is truly a special child.
@cgoldsmith --To be honest--you want to put your daughter on youtube--which is your business and may or may not be a good idea for a 4 year old given how pedophiles troll the ethosphere--as for the song--NIA has NO CLUE what she is really singing or what it means or how it applies to her--if you think she does--dig up the old photos of lynchings etc by whites against blacks--dig up the violence of the riots and pictures of Jim crow and sharecropping --ask her what song it reminds her of----
i find it nice that she listens to older music im 17 now but when i was every little my mom put on music from her records and we'd sing to them and my uncle was a big billie holiday fan and i got it from him i dont find anything wrong wit it as it seems people do in the comments
This is amazing and beautiful! As a Catholic, my children see Christ nailed to the cross on the crucifix hanging on the living room wall. I see nothing inappropriate with being open with a child who has questions...you are simply being a mother to YOUR child...only YOU know what she is ready for and what she is not ;0).
@MsStaciejm --a good mother PROTECTS their children --not exploits them. Nia should and must learn about racism and where it was and how it is now--but what is not motherly but is craven--is putting her child on youtube--this song is profound--Nia singing it is more a commentary on the mom than anything else--another idiot who thinks would like to exploit her baby..CPS ought to investigate this mom, who appears to be stage struck . I bet she keeps putting her daughter on line--stage mom.
Another exploitation of a mother's young child....clearly any 4 year old can and has sang songs word for word as they learn. No real talent here, just a little girl who loves to perform and a mother who is attempting to set the stage for fame.
Well Cool6r33ze, I'm sure her mother wouldn't say that she wasn't a bright child, but certainly any 4 year old truley does not understand the depth of what this song is saying. They may be able to repeat it, but not have a true understanding of it . Her mother, in my opinion, is simply doing what any other mother would do-promote the talent that her child appears to have.
@cantbebothered76 --having a child sing THIS song and swish and smile her way through it--almost makes a mockery of what the song is about. I agree that it is exploitative--the momma can talk about 'black power or enlightenment all she wants" Nia is a parrot --peforming for her mom--who does not have enough sense and class to protect her child, not exploit her on a venue that routinely has to police the internet for child molesters--and this song!! The baby has no clue--its not cute,
My God..this little old soul just brought tears to my eyes. She sang this song with such feeling & conviction, as though she had witnessed the scene with her own eyes.Billie are you in there?This has always been one of my most favorite yet hated songs.Beautiful & tragic at the same time.Thanks for posting this.I hope Nia watches this when she's grown?!
My God..this little old soul just brought tears to my eyes. She sang this song with such feeling & conviction, as though she had witnessed the scene with her own eyes.Billie are you in there?This has always been one of my most favorite yet hated songs.Beautiful & tragic at the same time.Thanks for posting this.I hope Nia watches this when she's grown?!
@TheKimykali -she copied Billie --lilts and all and smiled her way through it--so what was her "feeling" that she was singing a Barney song--the baby has no clue--the momma is exploitative and then there are the people who think a child performing almost anything 'on stage' is darling. If you showed Nia a pic of a lynching, she would NOT understand what it was or how it related to her OR Billie's song.
I like very much that Niya is learning about her ancestral history/misfortunes. My concern was her age. But children all mature at a different pace. Based on reading about her, I think she is ready and I don't believe her mother would allow the exposure is she wasn't.
@Cool6r33ze uhhuh. You don't believe the mom would allow the exposure if the child was not ready? some of us think the mom exercised poor judgement--not just for the song (she MUST know about this) but putting her child on you tube--but then, most people who send their childs to sleepovers or trust them with family friends only to find out about rapes and other things later--never thought their judgment was questionable either.
Hearing a 4 year old sing about dead bodies is, in a way,
like a stranger coming up to you in a bar and telling you they are in love with you.
Empty words.
She sings nicely, but she is repeating words that have no real meaning to her, so to me, it's not appealing, it has no real emotion, no meaning. I want to hear this song sung by someone who understands it, and feels it.
@cgoldsmith ILY for not responding to some of these comments. You know what's best for yours, I think it's great. The relationship you guys have. She is very bright and reminds me a lot of myself. I used to be A old soul. Feeling what my Dad and Mom felt. Especially when they listen to their albums. I can remember it like yesterday. Besides she is being comforted by you and it bonds your relationship to share such truth and emotions even through music. Keep up the good work and Stay close
@Bibliothequesse --very well said. The mother is an opportunistic idiot or to be kinder an attention seeker in denial about what she is doing and why. NIA cannot begin to understand lynching--even many adults cannot comprehend it. Bet she does not even know what a magnolia is--let alone all the metaphors in this song.
@Bibliothequesse you dont have to understand the words to feel the music. You can sing emotionally through the feeling of the music composition. Better off singing Billie Holiday's beautiful music than the garbage playing mainstream. Go ahead Nia, do your thing. Love it
She's gonna be a cultured and talented little lady when she's older! Beautiful girl with a fabulous voice!! I was also brought up listening to Billie Holiday as a child, 17 now and I thank my parents for shoving good music in my face:P
Well, to the opposition, no child ever really knows what he or she is singing; and there is nothing wrong with her singing a song with such content. It's the truth, it happened, and what's to say for all of the children who lived through such atrocities when they were of that age. You do not have to answer to anyone, everyone tries to give howtoraiseachild 101 these days. It's good for children to know their past, because they sure aren't going to get it from school or the media.
@ratmedicine : I was living in Indiana when the infamous hanging took place of two black men in Marion, IN (the one famously shown in Ebony in 1969) I was told of the lynching and was present when the klan marched downtown. I still had no clue--I was 8 at the time. I saw the pics when I was about 12--horrible--but still no clue--not really. It was brought home when I traveled thru W. VA in 1978 and at a gas station and white man pulled a gun and said if any nigger tried to (see next post)
@queenbeethatsme9 --use the restrooms they would be a dead nigger--then our van was surrounded and a few more good ol' boys joined in and pointed at us girls and said they sure would like to have some young coon afore they stretched some necks--then the horror of the pics and the precariousness of my own position hit me. I was still 16 and I could see, even then--if they wanted to how easy it could be--it was all on a hair trigger--I saw my bf's huge uncle shuffle and hold his head down so
we could get away--her momma was trembling--but I remember the hatred mostly and the fact we thought those kinds of things was behind us and not for our generation and I remember the piggy, rabid eyes and the hatred--but mostly--the most frightening thing--was how very still it all got--all on a razors edge and that Big John--always so tough and sure--seemed to age and become a shuffling wheedling old man in the space of those few minutes. THAT was the most terrifying of all--
@ratmedicine --as for giving 101 child rearing lessons we need to--children have no barometer these days--not for their actions, not for the children their loins can easily have but their heads are clueless to raise. I doubt Nia's mom means harm--but that baby singing that song is not about her singing it or knowing her history--it is like water in a sieve--she is a vessel not yet stoppered and sealed to contain such things--so it becomes a mockery--dangerous venue too.
Hats off to you for you expossing her to her history! Like you said I could see the fussing if it was kiya!! I love it! Keep up the good work mom! If she doesnt learn to stand for something she will be falling for anything! She will definately be the wife and not the baby mama!
@78blackbarbie --why do you say that? This was Billie's song and you remember how she ended up? living history (like Billie obviously did) and singing about it (Like Billie and Nia both did) are two very different things and neither the knowledge of lynchings of Jim Crow or racism or experiencing it, determines the course of a life. Billie ended up on Heroin and ultimately died young and unlike Nia--Billies life and Knowledge were not vicariously gotten--but still, look how she ended up.
I don't agree with most of the people who have commented on this video. I applaud the effort and the parents for teaching this child what real music is and letting her express it. Good job little one !
she is adorable, the song is a hauntingly beautiful song (not in a good way, it is very sad and distrubing) but i can actually see this girl becoming a singer, because she is actually on pitch some of the time
I'd also like to correct something you wrote . I don't know how things were done in the past, but as jewish educator I can say that now most schools so not teach Holocaust until 5th or 6th grade. It's mentioned earlier because it's part of the culture, but details are kept until later. I think the same should be true for other attrocities such as lynchings and genocide. I'm a litle worried about a 4yr. old getting this, but she doesn't sound like you're average 4 yr. ole.
cgoldsmith: Thanks for sharing the details of the back story to this video in the description. I'm still not sure if I agree with everything you write 100%, but your intention is clear. I respect you for that and hope that neither you nor Nia forget that as she continues to grow and learn.
By the way let me make this clear had she lived in that generation when Billy Holiday was alive this is the music that would of been played and heard. She would of seen it. So to hear this cutie pie sing this song i'm all for it and I don't care who disagrees. Us parents need to stop trying to hide everything from our young children. They are going to find out one way or another. Sing it baby bless you.
@MrMissValentino --she would not have sung that song had she been from that era--it is not as if blacks had radio stations and it played on the airwaves--and back then, as much as blacks wanted to just "get along" they would and DID shun the song--it was a critical success but in the hood and elsewhere--not a commercial one--it is only now getting a lot of play. My grand's generation said " I wish Billie wouldn't sing that song. Same folks who wish the kids today would not own the word nigger.
Come on people nned to relax at least she is not not singing my neck and my back. she is singing a Jazz classic, she may not know what the song means but it can be taught to her when she is older. Billie holiday is an african american jazz legend and for her to know her history of music is alright with me. This stuff really happened when she is older that can all be explained so for some people give me a break
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Yes, the girl is cute but this song is not a joke. She certainly has no idea what the song is about. This song was very hard for Billie Holiday to sing, how do you think she would feel if a 4 yr old was singing her song. Remember, Nia only does what you, the mom, teaches her to do.
Mrs. Goldsmith. You have one adorable daughter, I just saw her videos today & i'm enjoying her passion. She's a cutie. As as far as any criticism is concerned, you've hit the nail right on the head. I see little children who were born 50 years after the holocaust who are crying & the one thing that their elders ALWAYS say is that they do this so that their future generations will NEVER forget.
So then, why should it be any different when it comes down to what WE'VE been through?
I have to agree with lilchuy01. The music that's around now is vulgar and profane. It becomes second nature to us. It comes out in our behavior and speech. I'm 17 and I'm exposed to this music everyday and I'd rather not be. She is a perfect example of how intently children pay attention. I'm so impressed by the depth this child has in her heart and soul. God has a calling for her. She'll do great things.
I found this video a couple of years ago. It was my introduction to this song. Now I associate the song with Nia. I guess that makes her, among other things, a pint-sized music educator.
Such a beautiful little girl! She sings this song beautifully and it's obvious that she FEELS the song. She didn't just memorize the lyrics. Wonderfully done!
when first seeing a kid singing such a powerful song i was a little surprise, but after reading your very detailed reason of why you let her sing this for youtube. and i personally think its great that you have installed such a great influence of music on to your kid. and i totally get your explanation. i to was one of those little kids who rather listen to jazz and soul singers like lady day and aretha and later on the blues of bessie smith and janis joplin
I love your explanation and reasoning about why you let her sing this song... I totally agree.. and yes, I think some children are more sophisticated than we give them credit for... I applaud you and your amazing parenting skills and open-mindedness... And your daughter is obviously VERY talented and mature for her age... she is going to be amazing.... congrats and good job :)
I first heard of this song on a machima video with a Billie Holliday singing on Second Life, and then I watch a video of the meaning of how this was written and then I came across your daughter Nia singing, I believe the same way that you do I taught my kids when they were younger about racism. We as black parents should never sugar coat what happen to us in a history of lynchings and hangings. I applaud your daughter for singing this beautiful sad song!
Fayeab 6 days ago
is this nia from dance moms???
cheerleaduhh 2 weeks ago
NIA IS TO TALENTED, CUTE AND SPECIAL FOR HER HAIR TO BE UNCOMBED ON YOU TUBE WIT THAT PRETTY DRESS ON MOM ! HOOK HER UP... DAMM !
MegaCherrytan 1 month ago
jusqu'ici en France .. la voix de nia résonne. that is the most amazing interpretation i've heard in my life. Your kid is great and she has the right to know history. for it as you say not to repeat
rincoglionite 2 months ago
She has an amazing voice, god bless you both
mickey8421 2 months ago
is that nia from dance moms?
cheerleaduhh 2 months ago
Amazing!
Jdiva1978 5 months ago
I realize this was posted several years ago but after reading your in depth description I wanted to send you a note of my respect and admiration. i believe in teaching our children with truth and love, aand not only do I find nothing wrong with Nia singing this song, but everything right with it! She is obviously a gifted child and you are obviously a loving and attentive parent. I watched part 3 of her with Earth, Wind and Fire and was impressed with her clearly magical soul!! Bless you!!
goldenlunafish 6 months ago
She is AWESOME. To be that young, gifted, and black. Not many children can memorize the verses of that song so clearly. Thank you for broadening her musical horizon. Her voice will thank you later!
SaxPlaya4 7 months ago
shes gotta nice voice
gigimariegrillo 7 months ago
4????? WOOOOOOOOOOW! You go Nia.
binkybreezy1988 8 months ago
I think this video is remarkably poignant. We have a 4 year old singing a song that was written 60-70 years before she was born about a world she will thankfully never experience. It clearly highlights how far things have come: she can proudly sing this song on youtube, when Holiday was afraid to sing it and Columbia was afraid to record it.
wussyme 9 months ago
I'm trying to figure out what people think is inherently wrong about a child singing this song. Every child is different and some are ready to learn about lynching and racism before others. Nia doesn't seem particularly upset by it, and by her Mom's description, she's very advanced for her age. There's no point in lying to her about it, if she is asking. I know people who were introduced to politics and social issues at a very young age, and they turned into exceptionally bright and aware adults
wussyme 9 months ago
hì_Ï_fËel_sÖ_løñély_t0daY
CutaiVelmaaa298 10 months ago
strange fruit was written by a teacher named Abel Meeropol as a poem, who shared it with billie holiday, puting her life on the line and every one around her so she could sing this poem and share it to the world. just thought i would throw that fact out there
adorkableskittles 10 months ago
I JUST LOVE TO HEAR NIA SING I KNOW ONE SHE'LL BE A STAR...JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU FO WITH HER........LOVING HER
kingtune365 10 months ago
Nia, God first, but you are the reason why I take courage, I am 3 1/2 months pregnant and I am faced with a lot of temptations and difficulties to the extend that abortion was one of my option, but every time I watched you, something inside of me tells me that I have this same gift( like you) growing inside of me and it just left my spirit and made me realize that Children are blessing form God . I know that his in control cuz he speaks through you to let me know. U r my # 1
fruitcan76 10 months ago
SHES AN OLD SOUL
ordermyfootsteps 10 months ago
@bebosafetycow No 4yr olds don't need to learn this kind of stuff.This kind of stuff is for grown folks! 4yr olds need to be concerned with preparing to enter school.learning their abc's and 123's.learning about murder can wait a few years.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
Wow!
crystyluvfirstlady 11 months ago
I completely agree with you & your reasoning. Slavery, as tragic & terrible as it was- happened. People try and sweep it under the rug. Why wouldn't you let her listen to this beautiful history lesson? I love that she really feels the music...this is why i am mesmerized by Billie Holiday; because when I hear her voice, I can feel her pain. Keep doing what you are doing, Nia. You are beautiful.
JustBeachy100 11 months ago
@JustBeachy100 She is too young.She is 4 yrs old! Luckily she seems to have very sensative and caring parents.Still in general,4 yr old children need to be allowed to grow a little before dealing with adult affairs.She has a "G" rated mind.Lynching is an "R" sometimes "X"rated theme.You would never let a 4 yr old watch porn or listen to say..Richard Pryor.On top of all that Billy holiday is not someone i'd like my daughter to emulate.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
@titusact4scene2
As you said, she has very sensitive and caring parents; they seem to be doing just fine raising her...and miss Nia is a beautiful little girl with a huge voice. I am a fan(:
JustBeachy100 11 months ago
@JustBeachy100 You may be a fan of "Miss"Nia ,but I love Black Woman.And I don't want a 4yr old black female socialized into a victim's identity just to entertain adults who should know better.I would rather this beautiful young lady be socialized into believing she could become a Physicist,or a Micro biologist than another black entertainer with a tragic narrative.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
@titusact4scene2
No argument here, Titus. She isn't my daughter, & I am not raising her...so I guess the "adults who should know better" would be her parents. Moving on........
JustBeachy100 11 months ago
@JustBeachy100 Also that "pain" you claim to hear in her(Billy Holiday's) voice, more likely has to do with the drugs and alcohol she was imbibing than with lynching.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
@titusact4scene2
Sadly, Billie Holiday has been more known for her drug abuse than her talent. Yes, she had a drug problem, but this is not what defined her. She was a very talented artist that continues to touch lives.
JustBeachy100 11 months ago
What a little cutie. Better this historically relevant song than the trash rap that's out there now!
blkchk 11 months ago
It is a damned shame that this little girl is singing this ugly, destructive song.She is taking on a victim's identity as If that were her natural birth right.This ain't cute,it's contemptible.This little girl's parents ought to take a lesson from the Asian "tiger" moms.Lets face it,she won't be able to go head to head against a Tiger daughter in ANYTHING outside of American Idol! COME ON!! Give her a CHANCE
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
I think raising her on classic music is great
but this is almost sick, this song isnt appropriate for her age..
maybe when shes old enough to understand and know the struggle of african americans. just because she is one doesnt mean she ultimately understands.
billie holiday has plenty of songs, much more appropriate for her too sing.
shes just a little girl..
lookwhatdrugswilldo 1 year ago
@lookwhatdrugswilldo I couldn't agree with you more.There is nothing "cute" about this.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
Go Mom! Brava for exposing her to such good music!! You are absolutely right on about being careful what you expose her to -- babies this age are little sponges. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess she's seen some of Billies performances (tv, dvd?) Very similar vocal inflections, gestures! :) I am a teacher at my Temple, and you are right we DO teach the holocaust to our children, but we usually wait until @ 6th grade to start working it in. I'll bet you gave an age-appropriate explanation.
MrsUSN1 1 year ago 2
@MrsUSN1 "Go Mom!"WTF? I hope you're just being ironic! You don't really think a 4yr old should start acquiring a victim's identity before she learns to spell and do addition? Why, she's got all the time in the world to soak up that "stay on message"of black inferiority from Hollywood.I'd be infinitely more impressed if she took on the gestures and vocal inflections of an Physicist or an Engineer.A little girl mimicking a drug addict, singing a lousy victimhood standard,doesn't do it for me.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
@titusact4scene2 Seriously. Your Screen name is a particularly ugly racist scene from Shakespeare, and you get on here to condemn others for teaching their children about some uglier parts of history? That child likely has a childs understanding at best ('bad people did bad things'). You are so busy being self righteous and angry, you are missing that obvious fact. Ever listen to the radio? It's MUCH worse than this. Lil Wayne is okay but Billie Holiday isn't? Whatever.
MrsUSN1 11 months ago 5
@MrsUSN1 No you had it right "babies this age are little sponges".Little girls don't grow up and suddenly decide Hey I think I'll have inferiority issues.Hey all I'm good for is entertaining people. I was kinda hoping you "got" the problem of a 4yr old singing about "black bodies swinging", that maybe your comment was irony that fell flat ,but no you're just an idiot. If you think Titus Andronicus Act 4 Scene 2 is racist,then you're even more ignorant than I thought.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
@titusact4scene2 Titus... sometimes a song is just a song. If she sang "I'm a little teapot" she surely would not be taking on the "victims identity" of a teapot. She is not developing inferiority complexes, she is singing a song that she liked the sound of. Maybe her ideas @ it changed after learning the stories, who knows, but that doesn't create a complex. Fact is: a child with a background rich in the arts will excel in school, this kid has a bright future. Not arguing w/you, this is done.
MrsUSN1 11 months ago
@MrsUSN1 No it's not done. YOU'RE AN IDIOT! Now it's done.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
@titusact4scene2 Your maturity knows no bounds! * sarcasm*
ImJustSayin2014 11 months ago
@ImJustSayin2014 My maturity? You sound like Marcia Brady.
titusact4scene2 11 months ago
Go Mom! Brava for exposing her to such good music!! You are absolutely right on about being careful what you expose her to -- babies this age are little sponges. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess she's seen some of Billies performances (tv, dvd?) Very similar vocal inflections, gestures! :) I am a teacher at my Temple, and you are right we DO teach the holocaust to our children, but we usually wait until @ 6th grade to start working it in. I'll bet you gave an age-appropriate explaination.
MrsUSN1 1 year ago
I like the message that you are trying to convey and the way the it was presented. I like your mindset, keep the faith, and keep increasing her learing potential.
slimstickket 1 year ago
this brought tears to my eyes, hearing her young voice intertwined with billie's; the voice of a woman who knew and lived through a horrible truth compared to the innocent, trusting voice of a child. the fact she is perceptive enough to understand the suffering conveyed in a song is truly amazing, you should be very proud. we cannot forget the past. we must learn from it. god bless.
xProudxIrishxGirlx 1 year ago
she probably thinks that strange fruit is rotten apples or somethin
133742069 1 year ago
She's so pretty ! :)
AnneSo30400 1 year ago
this little cutie has great talent i hope shes a super star in a few more years
326Ka 1 year ago
this little cutie has great talent i shes a super star in a few more years
326Ka 1 year ago
beautiful.....
chance3473 1 year ago
I'm up writing a paper for school and I came across this...I don't care what any one says but this is so epic for a child her age to sing...to me this speaks volumes....and do u see how she's trying to feel the song!!!!! its like she already knows....some kids are born with old souls and she is definitely one of them....kudos to you mom! watch out she has a talent....just beautiful :)
DHS0Cheer9 1 year ago 13
@DHS0Cheer9
I am Nia's mom and I thank you for your kind words.
cgoldsmith 1 year ago
@DHS0Cheer9 That is Billie Holiday's spirit in that little girl. She knows and feels what she is saying no doubt about it. A genious child. God bless.
princesa2180 1 year ago
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@DHS0Cheer9 That is Billie Holiday's spirit in that little girl. She knows and feels what she is saying no doubt about it. A genious child. God bless.
princesa2180 1 year ago
@DHS0Cheer9 OMG I'm writing a paper too, and I just happened to see this...AMAZING!!!
smaguerra 8 months ago
i just read a text from an eye-witness about the lynichings that happened in the south... i*m from germany and we have this topic now in our english lessons, where we also heard this song... and i feel sick when i read about such things that people can do to other people just because of their skin colour...
its a great song and lovely performed by nia
safiramaggie 1 year ago
@safiramaggie
I am Nia's mom and thank you for understanding why she sings this song.
cgoldsmith 1 year ago
@cgoldsmith My name is Nia too:) but my mother wanted me to be uniqe and spelled it Nyah.your daughter is beautiful,and looks like me when i was little.I will agree its a sad song but it has a great meaning,its good your daughter is learning about this a such a young age.God bless you and your daughter.
PurpleSceneKidd 7 months ago
Lovely little girl !!!!!!!!
ritlagaboma 1 year ago
oh my goodness she is soo cute.love that dress and she has such character! too cute!
RavishingRedheadd 1 year ago
That's just great. Wow. She really seemed to feel it!
Jmkhoy 1 year ago
How adorable!
msldelatorre 1 year ago
Oh, she is too cute!
prettyyoungthang91 1 year ago
Regardless of colour or age, we should all know the history so we don't let it repeat itself.
UnstoppableNow 1 year ago
GeminGypsy1 we all know what happened ! the only ones keeping black history from black people are black people themselves !
American history as a whole is not taught to our children because it is not good for the socialist movement led by obama...
brettbrock681 1 year ago
@brettbrock681 This was two months ago so odds are you don't remember it. But really, fucking really? Damn another person who some how manages to make Obama the bad guy. When all things that have edited what our children learn in the history books were by Republicans and within the past say 5 years. You can call his economic system socialist, but his administration hasn't even scratched the surface of education. shit, how do you even socialize education? That's the equivalent of public school.
DuwiMayne 1 year ago
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ArnoldLutwin 1 year ago
She's so cute and wise. You raised a wonderful girl there.
YaoiHuntressEarth 1 year ago
this is so adorable!
annercash1 1 year ago
Lady Day would be proud...she sure has soul and emotion in her singing
clarkbailey1973 1 year ago
I was the same kind of child and my mother held me back rather than embraced it. It did NOT work in my favor so please continue with what you are doing. NOT doing that just leads to a lot of confusion and inability for a child to express what needs to get out.
Spirited76 1 year ago
I applaud the mother of this child! This is OUR history. Some seem to forget that......we can't erase it and she should NEVER forget it! You are NEVER to young to be taught what your ancestors had to endure. During slavery, at the age of 4 black children were being sold, rapped and hung. You have a special gem in Nia. Teach on sista! I'm loving it!
bklynborn01 1 year ago
I applaud the mother of this child! This is OUR history. Some seem to forget that......we can't erase it and she should NEVER forget it! You are NEVER to young to be taught what your ancestors had to endure. During slavery, at the age of 4 black children were being sold, rapped and hung. You have a special gem in Nia. Teach on sista! I'm loving it!
bklynborn01 1 year ago
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this is aweome. keep singing babidoll
gbodkin1 1 year ago
this is awesome...keep on singing babidoll
gbodkin1 1 year ago
TRULY A GENERATION OF IDIOTS!! No doubt if some sicko sees Nia and tracks her down--all of you idiiots will be the first to hold candlelight vigils and lament her being missing--but FEW of you will ever connect the dots between the tragedy and the way the child was positioned in this venue to be placed in harms way. Post your kids on youtube to your own detriment--adults? fine--kids? Be careful. Pets? not the same as kids--my last word on this. May God watch over Nia because momma ain't.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
I'm so inspired, I recently posted video's of my children singing on their laptop. I support them being creative and brave, But a lot of the songs are too grown, I have to admit. They copy today's stars, it's not a good look. They dare to be different but everyone wants to be the same these days. Seeing Nia and respecting your points opened my eyes. I won't delete their video's, however I will inspire them to make better decisions b4 recording! Thanks, to you and your beautiful Nia, Sooooo much
nclboyd 1 year ago 2
@queenbeethatsme9 idk why u even had to ask why!!! the child obviously is being exposed to many facets of music! A well rounded well cultured women is less likely to fall into the snares of todays society!! I am raising my daughter to be a wife not sombodies flunky! I expose her to as much as possible!!In hopes that it broadens her horizons & betters her choices!!! reread my post it was intended to be a compliment! especially after reading some of the ignorance that was posted before me!!
78blackbarbie 1 year ago
@78blackbarbie --My children have been and will remain exposed to jazz, blues, classical, rock, r and b and rap --but what I do with my children and where I send them (they are world travelers) will NOT be exploited on youtube or any other medium that would open them up to stalking or harassment. I do applaud Nia's mom for teaching her history and even the singing--if I had read about her in Essence, I'd be all for it--this is simply NOT the venue and I maintain that position. IMO and its firm.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
Nia will forfill her own destiny!!! I was solely speaking on her talent and it's a beautiful thing to see a lil black girl singing a song from our history!!! I didn't focus on how billie ended up! I am gr8ful that she was! She left us with some beauty even thru all the ugly she experienced!!even tho her life had tragedies she still had some accomplishments that should be acknowledged!!
78blackbarbie 1 year ago
@queenbeethatsme9 U can't judge her by her down fall ! despite her short comings their still is a beauty n her gift! No matter how ugly it/she is still apart of our history! Knowing where u come from helps plan where u will go! no 1 is sayin she will end up a heroin addict/nor will she be hung from a tree! All of our music from that time even down 2 hymes told the story of us! God blessed Nia &Billie both with a talent! There is beauty even n the ugliest thing!Give billie some credit!dont judge!
78blackbarbie 1 year ago
@78blackbarbie --I did not judge her by her downfall. I am a huge fan of Billie Holiday--I simply pointed out that knowledge of our past does NOT mean a person is slated for greatness or to be the "wife and not the baby momma" knowing jazz of our collective history only means we are more aware but it does NOT preclude life's choices--to say the child will be a great citizen because she can mimic Billie is silly.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
cgoldsmith: I am so adamantly against seeing your child performing on line--it is that you put your baby on youtube. Here in Kansas an 18 year old girl was tracked down by a persistent stalker--she never knew him--he was outside her home having researched her for months--he killed her after raping her and ditched his car just down the st from the suburb I live in-- videos of Target show him grabbing her--and all of that, was because he was able to choose his victim from the internet.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
My grown daughter was shocked to meet a man who traveled from England and sought her out--after pics of her were seen on a friends facebook page. YOU have a choice of who can see your daughter--you chose to put her in a venue with millions of viewers and YOU don't even know who they are, what their agendas are or the resources they might have if your child somehow gets their interest. THAT is why I feel you have done your child a disservice and you have NOT thought about all of THIS.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
note: this man kept showing up at her college and finally approached her and told her how she had captivated him--he said some people come to the US to see the Grand Canyon or NY--he came to meet my child--who was totally creeped out, not only about how he did it--but that for at least a week he hung on the periphery of her crowd and found out about her from a friend's picture and info. Youtube is NOT a safe venue, the internet is like a catalog of kids provided courtesy of doting parents.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
@queenbeethatsme9 dude. shut up. >____> The kid is singing. Let her do her thing.
415girlsf 1 year ago
@415girlsf --I am a female--and you make me shut up, loser.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
@queenbeethatsme9 Everything thing that happens is dean sweetheart, if it's going to happen believe me you can't stop it from hiding, live!!!!!! You can't hide your self from knowledge and exposure because of weirdo's!!!!! You'll never achieve, experience, trust, or grow!!!!! This is beautiful and for the better. And as I understand we're bombarding because it was actually posted for family communication and contact... ILY for teaching, exposing, and spending so much time w/ her, ur the best MOM
nclboyd 1 year ago
@nclboyd --so speaks a child. Almost everything we do is a consequence of actions and reactions. Consequences--they teach that in kindergarten., My kids (all are grown except one) have traveled all over the world, white water rafted, hiked in Peru, sky dived , swam off the barrier reef, etc--we do live--but we live wisely as well as well which may be why we live to see another day--your post indicates fatalism (whatever will be will be) and shows no responsibility for one's own actions--
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
@queenbeethatsme9 --as for knowledge, ALL ,my kids as well as myself are college educated and probably know more about history/civil rights and societal challenges than YOU will ever know. We also participate in charities, ecological and peace marches etc--the point is that non thinking is behind many tragedies to do with children This is NOT the proper venue as there are no safeguards and parents who use such a source are unwittingly advertising their kids for good or ill.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
What is disconcerting is the smile on her face--because as young as she is--the baby has NO IDEA what she is singing nor what the images portend or what is conjured up--she is a parrot--repeating what she is learned to mimic--with no idea what it is about--in her pretty little dress--in a way--it is a sort of mockery of what the song is about. I hope at some point, her family spends as much time letting her view the pictures of the hanging in Marion, IN and read the story of Edgars...
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
thats precious! so cute!
risrange09 1 year ago
@risrange09 --if she KNEW what she was actually singing about--she would not be smiling--she would sing it in the appropriate vein--but she is too young to know what her mommy has her doing--it is exploitative--if NIA understood what she was singing, she most likely would be crying--bet she does not even know what a magnolia is--let along metaphors describing dead men as fruit.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
@queenbeethatsme9 O_o....i'll bet you're the kind of person who comments on videos of cats meowing and then criticizes the cat owner for not figuring out "why for God sake is it meowing??" Settle down queenbee. NO ONE'S parenting is perfect, and I doubt letting her sing a little song is going to hurt her. you might a well say its exploitive to post any video at all on this website, because there ae thousands of videos of people and their kids and their dogs on this website.
risrange09 1 year ago
and if thats the case then why bother coming on this site at all if you so disagree with how exploitive it is?
risrange09 1 year ago
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@risrange09 I couldn't care about cats meowing. but molestation are crimes of opportunity and for too many children it takes an inconsiderate or ignorant parent placing them in harms way and not thinking about the ramifications of their actions. You tube should not be a forum to have babies make a stage debut--"mom" can neither control who has access or what they do with pics she provided. it is common sense. It is not an appropriate song for a child AND youtube is NOT the appropriate venue.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
@risrange09 --it is not exploitative if people post things about themselves--but a child cannot consent and knows no better--a child looks to parents for guidance and protection--putting any child in a meat market (and that is what the internet is) is irresponsible. In my city, a girl on MySpace was tracked down by an unknown guy who carjacked her, then raped and strangled her--she never knew him--but due to MySpace he knew her and admitted to shopping for someone like her by trolling sites.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
....Murdered..Etc. I think it should be known all of the different practices that happened not just to NAtive Americans or African Americans, but what happened to the white population as well. All were judged by their peers, whether they were right or not and all suffered.
Keep teaching your child about peace!!!!! <3
sorrowofherevil 1 year ago
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@sorrowofherevil --being judged by peers for actions is one thing--a person can help their actions. Being able to hide on a reservation or move away is another--but having to stay a slave or sharecropper and being killed for the color of one's skin is something very different entirely. Teaching her kid to sing this song is NOT teaching peace--the child has no idea what the hell she is singing about--her "smile" as she swishes her dress says it all--she is just pleasing her momma.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
I have a few things to say. The first is WAY TO GO!!! Billie Holiday is a goddess and this song is absolutely amazing! Nia does an amazing job of it! Keep encouraging her talent cause she has SUCH a talent already!!!! Amazing!!!
Myh second thing to say, and I'm sure that I'll get some negative feedback on this...It wasn't just African Americans that were lynched in the old days. A lot of American Indians were as well, and white men who beat their wives/children, and those who stole...
sorrowofherevil 1 year ago
@sorrowofherevil --white men were lynched who beat their wives and children? But don't you see? For whites to be lynched they had to do some sort of wrong--for Indians to be lynched may have been similar to blacks being lynched--for a black to be lynched--he had to do NOTHING--except be in the wrong place at the wrong time..THAT is and remains the DIFFERENCE!!
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
@sorrowofherevil --you basically are equating the treatment of a people based on their skin color to crimes like wife beating and stealing--as if black skin was a crime on par with what white men did --a white man could NOT beat his wife and did not have to steal--and an Indian could stay on the reservation or move away and hide out in the hills--but blacks had no where to go and no matter what--their skin went with them--NOT THE SAME!!
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
I love this sooooooooo much! It's so awesome
gotoparker 1 year ago
I love it! Keep teaching your child her history. It's funny to me how we can shove every other culture's history down our children's throat yet when it comes to sharing our own history, people want to keep it hushed. Don't we matter as much as the next? Or does our silence bring a level of comfort to the masses? Nia is truly a special child.
GeminiGypsy1 1 year ago 9
@GeminiGypsy1
Amen to you on that comment....and thank you.
cgoldsmith 1 year ago
@cgoldsmith --To be honest--you want to put your daughter on youtube--which is your business and may or may not be a good idea for a 4 year old given how pedophiles troll the ethosphere--as for the song--NIA has NO CLUE what she is really singing or what it means or how it applies to her--if you think she does--dig up the old photos of lynchings etc by whites against blacks--dig up the violence of the riots and pictures of Jim crow and sharecropping --ask her what song it reminds her of----
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
She is so cute she will most likely be famous when she is older!
softvoice21 1 year ago
i find it nice that she listens to older music im 17 now but when i was every little my mom put on music from her records and we'd sing to them and my uncle was a big billie holiday fan and i got it from him i dont find anything wrong wit it as it seems people do in the comments
dagreg32 1 year ago
This is amazing and beautiful! As a Catholic, my children see Christ nailed to the cross on the crucifix hanging on the living room wall. I see nothing inappropriate with being open with a child who has questions...you are simply being a mother to YOUR child...only YOU know what she is ready for and what she is not ;0).
~God Bless you & yours~~
MsStaciejm 1 year ago
@MsStaciejm --a good mother PROTECTS their children --not exploits them. Nia should and must learn about racism and where it was and how it is now--but what is not motherly but is craven--is putting her child on youtube--this song is profound--Nia singing it is more a commentary on the mom than anything else--another idiot who thinks would like to exploit her baby..CPS ought to investigate this mom, who appears to be stage struck . I bet she keeps putting her daughter on line--stage mom.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
Teach Mama,thank you!
shontel1ful 1 year ago
Another exploitation of a mother's young child....clearly any 4 year old can and has sang songs word for word as they learn. No real talent here, just a little girl who loves to perform and a mother who is attempting to set the stage for fame.
cantbebothered76 1 year ago
@cantbebothered76 lol stfu this was 4 years ago. Have you seen any videos of her in recent years?
branbran2545 1 year ago
Well Cool6r33ze, I'm sure her mother wouldn't say that she wasn't a bright child, but certainly any 4 year old truley does not understand the depth of what this song is saying. They may be able to repeat it, but not have a true understanding of it . Her mother, in my opinion, is simply doing what any other mother would do-promote the talent that her child appears to have.
cantbebothered76 1 year ago
@cantbebothered76 --having a child sing THIS song and swish and smile her way through it--almost makes a mockery of what the song is about. I agree that it is exploitative--the momma can talk about 'black power or enlightenment all she wants" Nia is a parrot --peforming for her mom--who does not have enough sense and class to protect her child, not exploit her on a venue that routinely has to police the internet for child molesters--and this song!! The baby has no clue--its not cute,
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
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My God..this little old soul just brought tears to my eyes. She sang this song with such feeling & conviction, as though she had witnessed the scene with her own eyes.Billie are you in there?This has always been one of my most favorite yet hated songs.Beautiful & tragic at the same time.Thanks for posting this.I hope Nia watches this when she's grown?!
TheKimykali 1 year ago
My God..this little old soul just brought tears to my eyes. She sang this song with such feeling & conviction, as though she had witnessed the scene with her own eyes.Billie are you in there?This has always been one of my most favorite yet hated songs.Beautiful & tragic at the same time.Thanks for posting this.I hope Nia watches this when she's grown?!
TheKimykali 1 year ago
@TheKimykali -she copied Billie --lilts and all and smiled her way through it--so what was her "feeling" that she was singing a Barney song--the baby has no clue--the momma is exploitative and then there are the people who think a child performing almost anything 'on stage' is darling. If you showed Nia a pic of a lynching, she would NOT understand what it was or how it related to her OR Billie's song.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
This SI Soo Adorablee...
She Sings it Great :D
She Trys And Makes It Song Great..
You Have The Cutest Little Singer..
She will be Singing For Big Crowds One Daay :D
hellokittymonster11 1 year ago
adorable
tofufu 1 year ago
I like very much that Niya is learning about her ancestral history/misfortunes. My concern was her age. But children all mature at a different pace. Based on reading about her, I think she is ready and I don't believe her mother would allow the exposure is she wasn't.
-Tony
Cool6r33ze 1 year ago 3
@Cool6r33ze
Thank you for understanding :)
cgoldsmith 1 year ago
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@Cool6r33ze uhhuh. You don't believe the mom would allow the exposure if the child was not ready? some of us think the mom exercised poor judgement--not just for the song (she MUST know about this) but putting her child on you tube--but then, most people who send their childs to sleepovers or trust them with family friends only to find out about rapes and other things later--never thought their judgment was questionable either.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
She is a beautiful child. Her parent's should have known better!!!
deasson 1 year ago
@deasson Please read the comments to the song that I wrote near the video and I think you will then understand.
cgoldsmith 1 year ago
Hearing a 4 year old sing about dead bodies is, in a way,
like a stranger coming up to you in a bar and telling you they are in love with you.
Empty words.
She sings nicely, but she is repeating words that have no real meaning to her, so to me, it's not appealing, it has no real emotion, no meaning. I want to hear this song sung by someone who understands it, and feels it.
Bibliothequesse 1 year ago 5
@Bibliothequesse
I agree, i wasn't sure how to say it myself but you have put it into words perfectly. A 4 year old could never reach te depth of a song like this.
stylishsid 1 year ago
@Bibliothequesse Please read the comments to the song that I wrote near the video and I think you will then understand.
cgoldsmith 1 year ago
@cgoldsmith ILY for not responding to some of these comments. You know what's best for yours, I think it's great. The relationship you guys have. She is very bright and reminds me a lot of myself. I used to be A old soul. Feeling what my Dad and Mom felt. Especially when they listen to their albums. I can remember it like yesterday. Besides she is being comforted by you and it bonds your relationship to share such truth and emotions even through music. Keep up the good work and Stay close
nclboyd 1 year ago
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@Bibliothequesse --very well said. The mother is an opportunistic idiot or to be kinder an attention seeker in denial about what she is doing and why. NIA cannot begin to understand lynching--even many adults cannot comprehend it. Bet she does not even know what a magnolia is--let alone all the metaphors in this song.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
@Bibliothequesse you dont have to understand the words to feel the music. You can sing emotionally through the feeling of the music composition. Better off singing Billie Holiday's beautiful music than the garbage playing mainstream. Go ahead Nia, do your thing. Love it
hade1hade 1 year ago
so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
childofmusic1002 1 year ago
this baby is singing this song forreal...wow go head baby...sounds great
Rcutiepie 1 year ago
Nia is an old soul. Beautiful child, @cgoldsmith.
Jynical 1 year ago
She is four and amazing i love her !!!!!
hottieladies333 1 year ago
She's gonna be a cultured and talented little lady when she's older! Beautiful girl with a fabulous voice!! I was also brought up listening to Billie Holiday as a child, 17 now and I thank my parents for shoving good music in my face:P
CaitrionaBolger 1 year ago 2
Well, to the opposition, no child ever really knows what he or she is singing; and there is nothing wrong with her singing a song with such content. It's the truth, it happened, and what's to say for all of the children who lived through such atrocities when they were of that age. You do not have to answer to anyone, everyone tries to give howtoraiseachild 101 these days. It's good for children to know their past, because they sure aren't going to get it from school or the media.
ratmedicine 1 year ago
@ratmedicine : I was living in Indiana when the infamous hanging took place of two black men in Marion, IN (the one famously shown in Ebony in 1969) I was told of the lynching and was present when the klan marched downtown. I still had no clue--I was 8 at the time. I saw the pics when I was about 12--horrible--but still no clue--not really. It was brought home when I traveled thru W. VA in 1978 and at a gas station and white man pulled a gun and said if any nigger tried to (see next post)
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
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@queenbeethatsme9 --use the restrooms they would be a dead nigger--then our van was surrounded and a few more good ol' boys joined in and pointed at us girls and said they sure would like to have some young coon afore they stretched some necks--then the horror of the pics and the precariousness of my own position hit me. I was still 16 and I could see, even then--if they wanted to how easy it could be--it was all on a hair trigger--I saw my bf's huge uncle shuffle and hold his head down so
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
we could get away--her momma was trembling--but I remember the hatred mostly and the fact we thought those kinds of things was behind us and not for our generation and I remember the piggy, rabid eyes and the hatred--but mostly--the most frightening thing--was how very still it all got--all on a razors edge and that Big John--always so tough and sure--seemed to age and become a shuffling wheedling old man in the space of those few minutes. THAT was the most terrifying of all--
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
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@ratmedicine --as for giving 101 child rearing lessons we need to--children have no barometer these days--not for their actions, not for the children their loins can easily have but their heads are clueless to raise. I doubt Nia's mom means harm--but that baby singing that song is not about her singing it or knowing her history--it is like water in a sieve--she is a vessel not yet stoppered and sealed to contain such things--so it becomes a mockery--dangerous venue too.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
Hats off to you for you expossing her to her history! Like you said I could see the fussing if it was kiya!! I love it! Keep up the good work mom! If she doesnt learn to stand for something she will be falling for anything! She will definately be the wife and not the baby mama!
78blackbarbie 1 year ago
@78blackbarbie --why do you say that? This was Billie's song and you remember how she ended up? living history (like Billie obviously did) and singing about it (Like Billie and Nia both did) are two very different things and neither the knowledge of lynchings of Jim Crow or racism or experiencing it, determines the course of a life. Billie ended up on Heroin and ultimately died young and unlike Nia--Billies life and Knowledge were not vicariously gotten--but still, look how she ended up.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
Wonderful job little one and I applaud the parent for teaching this child what real music is and allowing her to express it.
CherokeyGirl 1 year ago
I don't agree with most of the people who have commented on this video. I applaud the effort and the parents for teaching this child what real music is and letting her express it. Good job little one !
CherokeyGirl 1 year ago
she is adorable, the song is a hauntingly beautiful song (not in a good way, it is very sad and distrubing) but i can actually see this girl becoming a singer, because she is actually on pitch some of the time
Museleaders 1 year ago
I'd also like to correct something you wrote . I don't know how things were done in the past, but as jewish educator I can say that now most schools so not teach Holocaust until 5th or 6th grade. It's mentioned earlier because it's part of the culture, but details are kept until later. I think the same should be true for other attrocities such as lynchings and genocide. I'm a litle worried about a 4yr. old getting this, but she doesn't sound like you're average 4 yr. ole.
spn1007 1 year ago
cgoldsmith: Thanks for sharing the details of the back story to this video in the description. I'm still not sure if I agree with everything you write 100%, but your intention is clear. I respect you for that and hope that neither you nor Nia forget that as she continues to grow and learn.
spn1007 1 year ago
The juxtapositioning of seeing this girl sing this song is just mind-blowing.
HumanStrategy 1 year ago
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"You're never too learn about injustice. Never."
I agree with sweetbutdaring.
koyukixchan 1 year ago
good girl, but i think that at that age she can't understand the real meaning of the song
tuken91 2 years ago
Not sure why you're getting thumbs down for this. That was exactly my thought when I started watching this.
Snuffomatica 1 year ago
By the way let me make this clear had she lived in that generation when Billy Holiday was alive this is the music that would of been played and heard. She would of seen it. So to hear this cutie pie sing this song i'm all for it and I don't care who disagrees. Us parents need to stop trying to hide everything from our young children. They are going to find out one way or another. Sing it baby bless you.
MrMissValentino 2 years ago 6
@MrMissValentino --she would not have sung that song had she been from that era--it is not as if blacks had radio stations and it played on the airwaves--and back then, as much as blacks wanted to just "get along" they would and DID shun the song--it was a critical success but in the hood and elsewhere--not a commercial one--it is only now getting a lot of play. My grand's generation said " I wish Billie wouldn't sing that song. Same folks who wish the kids today would not own the word nigger.
queenbeethatsme9 1 year ago
Come on people nned to relax at least she is not not singing my neck and my back. she is singing a Jazz classic, she may not know what the song means but it can be taught to her when she is older. Billie holiday is an african american jazz legend and for her to know her history of music is alright with me. This stuff really happened when she is older that can all be explained so for some people give me a break
MrMissValentino 2 years ago 10
@MrMissValentino ~FAINTS~ @ nt singing my neck & my back!! LOL Most humans are stupid!! We call good evil l and evil good. This video is beautiful!
fatcat8155 1 year ago
shes got soul.
gordonmessi 2 years ago 3
That how dreems start and she is nat macking a joke she is loving it ,,,she knows the words dude keep it up love :)))))
nadia473 2 years ago 3
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Yes, the girl is cute but this song is not a joke. She certainly has no idea what the song is about. This song was very hard for Billie Holiday to sing, how do you think she would feel if a 4 yr old was singing her song. Remember, Nia only does what you, the mom, teaches her to do.
irmeplco 2 years ago
Isn't she a little bit too young to be hearing it. By the looks of it she doesn't really understand how tragic the poem actually is.
Sure let her know about human atrocities but do not take her childhood away. Once you take it away, the rest of the life seems rather miserable.
GunSotsOverMe 2 years ago
You're never too learn about injustice. Never.
sweetbutdaring 2 years ago
Mrs. Goldsmith. You have one adorable daughter, I just saw her videos today & i'm enjoying her passion. She's a cutie. As as far as any criticism is concerned, you've hit the nail right on the head. I see little children who were born 50 years after the holocaust who are crying & the one thing that their elders ALWAYS say is that they do this so that their future generations will NEVER forget.
So then, why should it be any different when it comes down to what WE'VE been through?
DatSoulBoss 2 years ago
I have to agree with lilchuy01. The music that's around now is vulgar and profane. It becomes second nature to us. It comes out in our behavior and speech. I'm 17 and I'm exposed to this music everyday and I'd rather not be. She is a perfect example of how intently children pay attention. I'm so impressed by the depth this child has in her heart and soul. God has a calling for her. She'll do great things.
DarkPoeticLullaby 2 years ago 2
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DarkPoeticLullaby 2 years ago
She so cute! May god look upon her!!
TheSkandalouz 2 years ago
I found this video a couple of years ago. It was my introduction to this song. Now I associate the song with Nia. I guess that makes her, among other things, a pint-sized music educator.
inspire2build 2 years ago
Such a beautiful little girl! She sings this song beautifully and it's obvious that she FEELS the song. She didn't just memorize the lyrics. Wonderfully done!
kellyw605 2 years ago
when first seeing a kid singing such a powerful song i was a little surprise, but after reading your very detailed reason of why you let her sing this for youtube. and i personally think its great that you have installed such a great influence of music on to your kid. and i totally get your explanation. i to was one of those little kids who rather listen to jazz and soul singers like lady day and aretha and later on the blues of bessie smith and janis joplin
lilchuy01 2 years ago
I love your explanation and reasoning about why you let her sing this song... I totally agree.. and yes, I think some children are more sophisticated than we give them credit for... I applaud you and your amazing parenting skills and open-mindedness... And your daughter is obviously VERY talented and mature for her age... she is going to be amazing.... congrats and good job :)
nikitabananaz69 2 years ago 2
Baby almost made me cry!!! Jehovah God bless her!! That was beautiful...
hon3yg1rl 2 years ago
God has truly annointed her get your grammar gowns ready
Senoritahoneybun 2 years ago
really cute! very good song.....that's nice
LouisVuiBillionaire 2 years ago
ohh shes got soul so young. wow-- one of my fav songs...good job lil nia.
duckie0106 2 years ago
Es asombroso como una niña puede cantar una canción como esta... es uan canción con una letra muy fuerte!
me hizo llorar....
Margorie21