Our foreparents were mostly brought from West Africa. We were brought to America and our foreparents were sold; white people bo ught them; white people changed their names my maiden name is supposed to be Townsend, but really, what is… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black people... The question for black people is not, when is the white man going to give us our rights, or when is he going to give us good education for our children, or when is he… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share
You know what really made me sick? I was in Washington, D.C. at another time reading in a paper where the U.S. gives Byron de la Beckwith - the man who is charged with murdering Medgar Evers - they were giving him so much money for some land and I ask "Is this America?" We can no longer ignore the… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share
It was the 31st of August in 1962 that eighteen of us traveled twenty-six miles to the county courthouse in Indianola to try to… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
I met one child there eleven years old, speaking three languages [in Guinea]. He could speak English, French and Malinke. Speaking my language actually… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
... some of my people could have been left [in Africa] and are living there. And I can't understand them and they don't know… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
I saw in Chicago, on the street where I was visiting my sister-in-law, this "Urban Renewal" and it means one thing: "Negro removal." But they want to tear the homes down and put a parking lot there. Where are those people going? Where will they go? And as soon as Negroes take to the street demonstrating, one hears people say,… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share
We didnt come all this way for no two seats when all of us is tired, — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
The Mississippi is not the only river. There's the Tallahatchie and the Big Black. People have been put in the river year after year,… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
I was in jail when Medgar Evers was murdered and nothing, I mean nothing has been done about that. — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
What I really feel is necessary is that the black people in this country wil have to upset this apple cart. We can no… — Fannie Lou Hamer Copy Share Image
![“I met one child there eleven years old, speaking three languages [in Guinea]. He could speak English, French and Malinke. Speaking my language actually better than I could. And this hypocrisy - they tell us here in America [ that black people can't be intelligent].” quote by Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6ef/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_america_i-met-one-child-there-eleven-years-old-s_78966.jpg)
![“... some of my people could have been left [in Africa] and are living there. And I can't understand them and they don't know me and I don't know them because all we had was taken away from us. And I became kind of angry; Ifelt the anger of why this had to happen to us. We were so stripped and…” quote by Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d38/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_things-happen-for-a_some-of-my-people-could-have-been-left-i_142242.jpg)
