The History They Hide: Fannie Lou Hamer’s Fight for First-Class Citizenship
Fannie Lou Hamer’s powerful words echo through time as a stark reminder of the brutal reality faced by Black Americans fighting for the right to vote. In this transcript, Hamer recounts the violent and dehumanizing treatment she endured simply because she wanted to register to become a “first-class citizen.” Her testimony, delivered during the 1964 Democratic National Convention, exposed the systemic oppression of the Jim Crow South and the lengths the system went to suppress Black voices.
As we reflect on her harrowing experience, we must confront the truth: history repeats itself. Voter suppression, racial inequality, and systemic injustice still resonate today. They hide this history because her story reminds us of our collective power and the resilience of those who came before us.
Who Was Fannie Lou Hamer?
Born in 1917 in Montgomery County, Mississippi, Fannie Lou Hamer was a sharecropper turned activist who became a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement. She co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) to challenge the state’s all-white Democratic delegation. Hamer was known for her fearless voice, her powerful singing, and her unwavering fight for voting rights, despite facing physical violence, imprisonment, and economic retaliation. Her famous words, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired,” continue to inspire generations.
This is the history they want to hide from us. But her legacy will not be forgotten.
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