The first trailer for Paramount’s “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” explores the tragic story of singer Billie Holiday, the racial inequalities of 1940s America and her encounters with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.

The jazz singer, portrayed by Andra Day, came under fire by the agency after performing the song “Strange Fruit,” which condemns the U.S. history of lynching Black people. The film, directed by Lee Daniels and written by Suzan-Lori Parks, is inspired by Johann Hari’s book “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs.”

The movie focuses on Holiday’s dealings with federal agents, who allegedly began to target her due to her alcohol and drug abuse. Their behavior, however, was based more on her political sway with “Strange Fruit” than her actual struggles. An FBI memo even acknowledged that the Federal Bureau of Narcotics hoped to discredit people like her through their use of narcotics.(SD-Agencies)