Touched by an Angel (1994)

Episode Overview

Fourteen-year-old Charnelle Bishop informs her grandmother that she's heading to the museum to work on an essay about "finding a piece of yourself in history." In reality, she plans to buy drugs from her dealer, Lamont. Monica attempts to connect with Charnelle through their shared love of music, but Charnelle remains guarded. When Monica discovers Charnelle smoking a joint in the bathroom, she refuses to hand it over until Charnelle starts her homework. Monica shares the story of Billie Holiday's struggles with addiction. In a flashback to 1939, Billie performs in a Greenwich Village speakeasy while Andrew auditions as her pianist. Charnelle, uninterested in love songs, prefers music that conveys raw truths. Monica continues by recounting how Billie felt when she first encountered the lyrics of "Strange Fruit," the groundbreaking song that confronts the reality of lynching in America.