Whole with joy w/Fannie Lou Hamer
Creator: John Dominis | Credit: The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Whole with joy w/Fannie Lou Hamer
Happy Birthday to one of my many inspirations & beloved ancestors, Fannie Lou Hamer. There is so much to learn from the life & legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer. She was born in Montgomery County, Mississippi where Hamer grew up in poverty and left school to work by the age of 12. I find this to be one of the most fascinating aspects of her life, she didn’t let her circumstances and lack of education in the traditional sense define her. She understood she was defined by the spirit that lived within her and by the divine purpose she walked in. She had a mighty spirit, full of determination, courage, and love. She wasn't afraid to use her voice, through song & protest where she used her life experiences to address racial injustices and human rights issues. She was involved in the Civil rights movements, helped established the National Women’s Political Caucus, and worked to dismantle systemic oppression through food sovereignty with the Freedom Farm Cooperative (FFC).
During the course of her activist career, Hamer experienced horrendous violations & assaults to her body & spirit. Despite what happened in her life, she had the audacity to turn all her pain into power & the ugly into beauty. She led with love & conviction to create a world where we could know & feel our sense of dignity. And so, may we carry forth her legacy singing
“This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, shine, shine “
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Fannie Lou Hamer:
“If you give a hungry man food, he will eat it. [But] if you give him land, he will grow his own food.”
“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
You can pray until you faint, but unless you get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap.”
“When I liberate myself, I liberate others. If you don’t speak out ain’t nobody going to speak out for you.”
“I am sick & tired of being sick & tired”
“If this is a Great Society, I’d hate to see a bad one”
“There is one thing you have got to learn about our movement. Three people are better than no people.” – Fannie Lou Hamer