Please ya'll learn this #americanhistory #fannielouhamer was an illiterate citizen who learned the importance of the vote and became an activist testifying at the Democratic convention. She was jailed beaten within an inch of her life several times fighting for #votingrights She was from #ruleville Mississippi right next door to Cleveland where my aunt and uncle who I only met twice in my life lived. When I visited in 2015 and saw the proximity they had lived from her I knew in my spirit they must have known her... Especially since #amziemoore house a place where activist meetings took place is around the corner from them. I also learned from my late brother almost a decade ago that same uncle who was an educator (he & my Dad were only 2 of 10 who went to college) knew #medgarevers well - so well Leevtold me: there is footage of Evers where he is sitting in the BG on the couch! I visited the place Fannie is buried in Ruleville in 2015. It's a small beautiful park. She was a Sheroe to me well before the trip but realizing her connection to my own family....priceless. I so wish I had known a piece of this when they were still alive... Fannie coined the phrase #sickandtiredofbeingsickandtired and we still are!!! My favorite quote of hers and it's on my IMDB page: "You can cry until you faint but if you don't get up and do something God is not going to put it into your lap." Fannie Lou Hamer 1917-1977 I am very proud of my Mississippi heritage. I only wish I'd known more of it sooner. This is why you need to talk to your elders now. I'm so grateful my mother wrote hers down and I got to help her shape it and eventually finish it. There's still so much I don't know about my father's side... https://www.instagram.com/p/CQONdFAJKuI/?utm_medium=tumblr
