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BONUS: Fannie Lou Hamer - An Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement
In this special bonus episode, we learn about Fannie Lou Hamer, an activist and one of the lesser known heroes of the civil rights movement, who championed for voter equality in the US, and risked her own safety for justice.
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Special guest for this episode:
- Nicholas Grant, an Associate Professor of International History at the University of East Anglia. He is an expert on twentieth century United States, researching race, internationalism and transnational activism.
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Highlights from this episode:
- In this bonus episode, we further unpack the significance of the Voting Rights Act and its historical context, which is crucial for understanding today's political landscape.
- Fannie Lou Hamer emerged as a central figure in the civil rights movement, emphasizing the power of grassroots activism to effect real change in voting rights.
- We encourage listeners to explore Fannie Lou Hamer's life, as her story exemplifies the struggles faced by ordinary individuals fighting for their right to vote.
- The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was co-founded by Hamer in 1964, challenging the all-white Democratic Party and advocating for Black political participation.
- Hamer's famous quote, 'I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired,' reflects the frustration and resilience of those fighting against voter suppression.
- As we continue to discuss voting rights, we invite everyone to engage in informed discussions and explore the resources linked in our show notes.
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Additional Resources:
- National Archives Voting Rights Act (1965) Milestone Documents: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/voting-rights-act
- Civil Rights History Project – Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/civil-rights-movement/
- The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture – Fannie Lou Hamer and Voting Rights: https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/fannie-lou-hamer-and-fight-voting-rights
- Primary Source Spotlight: Voting Rights Act of 1965: https://primarysourcenexus.org/2019/02/primary-source-spotlight-voting-rights-act-1965/
- Supreme Court of the United States: Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2021) – Full Opinions: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/19-1257_g204.pdf
- Shelby County v. Holder (2013) Decision – Wikipedia Guide and Analysis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_County_v._Holder
- Brennan Center for Justice – Effects of Shelby County v. Holder on the Voting Rights Act: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/effects-shelby-county-v-holder-voting-rights-act
- Smithsonian Magazine – Fannie Lou Hamer’s Dauntless Fight for Black Americans’ Right to Vote: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/fannie-lou-hamers-dauntless-fight-for-black-americans-right-vote-180975610/
- TIME Magazine – Rosa Parks and Voting Rights Activism: https://time.com/5933396/rosa-parks-voting-rights/
- The National Constitution Center – History and Legacy of the Voting Rights Act: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-history-and-legacy-of-the-voting-rights-act
- Wikipedia: Timeline of Voting Rights in the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_voting_rights_in_the_United_States
- Smith v. Allwright (1944) Decision – White Primaries: https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/archive/html/vce/features/0404_01/smith.html
- SNCC Digital Gateway – People Who Led the Movement: Fannie Lou Hamer, John Lewis, and Ella Baker: https://snccdigital.org/people/
- PBS LearningMedia – The Black Codes, Reconstruction, and Voting: https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/f5b1df5d-399b-4895-b561-0d2fcd040c49/reconstruction-the-black-codes/
- National Park Service – The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail: https://www.nps.gov/semo/index.htm
- Learning for Justice – Why the Voting Rights Act Matters: https://www.learningforjustice.org/why-the-1965-voting-rights-act-is-crucial-for-democracy
- American Civil Liberties Union – Voting Rights Act: Major Dates in History: https://www.aclu.org/news/topic/voting-rights-act-major-dates-history
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And if you like this episode, you might also love:
What Do We Get Wrong About the Civil Rights Movement?
What Challenge Does Black Lives Matter Present to America?
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Transcript
Hello and welcome to this bonus episode of America A History Recorded straight after our recent episode, what is the Voting Rights Act?
Speaker A:I'm joined now by the guest from that episode, Nick Grant, to discuss this just a little bit more.
Speaker A:Hi, Nick.
Speaker B:Hi, Liam.
Speaker A:Good for you to hang on.
Speaker A:And I think it's really important in this episode to give people as much information as possible to really get that discussion and debate going so that these conversations that need to happen are happening at every level.
Speaker A:So I guess as a sort of extra nugget of wisdom for people, where could you recommend they look for that information?
Speaker B:Yeah, I think one thing that I wanted to talk about in the main episode but didn't get to was to raise the figure of funny Lou Hamer.
Speaker B:Now, one of the points I was really trying to push was that ordinary people at a grassroots level can make really important change and are central to things like the Voting Rights act being passed.
Speaker B:And Fannie Lou Hamer's a famous figure who I'd recommend people look up and kind of explore.
Speaker B:Just online would be a good place as there's a range of kind of really well written blog pieces about her life.
Speaker B:So she was a Mississippi sharecropper.
Speaker B: to register to vote first in: Speaker B:So she was fired from.
Speaker B:From the place of work her home was shot into.
Speaker B:She was intimidated, but she continued to try and register to vote.
Speaker B:There's a scene in the film Selma where she's kind of asked to take a literacy test in order to qualify to have the right to vote.
Speaker B:And she's given this really obscure part of the Mississippi Constitution that she has to respond to and you can see just all the kind of dubious ways in which white officials try to prevent black Americans to vote.
Speaker B:So she was a really important figure in terms of the push for voting rights, like on a personal level, but also like built a movement and campaign.
Speaker B: i Freedom Democratic Party in: Speaker B:And it became a parallel political party that was designed to encourage black political participation while challenging the stringently white nature of Mississippi's Democratic Party.
Speaker B: on, and planned for August in: Speaker B:And as part of that, in terms of challenging that kind of all white nature of the, of the Democratic Party, in Mississippi challenging things like the white primary.
Speaker B:She gave really powerful testimony where she said, and she said, like most famously, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Speaker B:And she continued for the rest of her life to kind of to testify and to work on the Voting Rights Act.
Speaker B:She ultimately ran for Congress.
Speaker B:She organized different kind of freedom schools and encouraged African Americans to claim the rights that they had won and to talk about the power and the importance of voting rights as well.
Speaker B:So I think as someone who comes from the grassroots, who builds a movement, is so influential in terms of changing and shifting debates on civil rights and Voting Rights Act, I'd really encourage listeners to have a look at the life and the activism of Fannie Lou Hamer.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's a great recommendation and probable future episode of the podcast there as well, I think.
Speaker A:But Nick, thank you as always for your insight.
Speaker A:It's always much appreciated and we'll get you back on the podcast soon.
Speaker B:Yeah, thanks Liam.
Speaker B:And thank you so much for having me.
Speaker A:No worries.
Speaker A:Thanks Nick.
Speaker A:And to anyone listening as always, if you enjoy the podcast rate review, follow, support us and read up more.
Speaker A:All the links are in the show notes.
Speaker A:Thank you as always for listening and goodbye.
