A Summer Shaping What Comes Next - Flipbook - Page 17
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What ic Harvest Experience
A Civ
meet your guide
Fannie Lou Hamer
Born in 1917 in rural Mississippi, I was the
youngest of twenty children of sharecroppers.
I grew up in the fields, picking cotton under a
system that kept Black families poor, quiet,
and powerless. But I knew early on that silence
was never an option.
When I attempted to register to vote, I was
intimidated, beaten, and imprisoned—but I
did not turn back. I knew then, and I know
now, that until everybody is free, nobody is
free. My voice, once considered too loud or
too rough, became a force for truth.
Organizing, speaking out, and grassroots leadership helped me challenge
voter intimidation, economic inequality, and political disenfranchisement
throughout the South and the country.
As you walk through my history, you will see the strength of people doing
extraordinary things. My life is proof to the fact that courage does not
depend on money, education, or fame, but only on conviction, community,
and the willingness to take a stand even when the price is high.
I hope this guidebook inspires you to speak out, show up,
and keep pushing for a democracy that includes us all.
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