Only Quote by Fannie Lou Hamer
“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 register to become first-class citizens. We was met in Indianola by policemen, Highway Patrolmen, and they only allowed two of us in to take the literacy test at the time.”
About This Quote
A 1962 civil rights effort where activists faced hostile law enforcement while attempting voter registration, highlighting systemic barriers to Black enfranchisement.
In simple terms: Barriers to Black voting rights in the 1960s.
Key Takeaway
Institutional racism limited civic participation.
Themes
Civil Rights
Voting Rights
Racism
Police Oppression
Activism
Mood
Defiant
Hopeful
Urgent
Type
Historical Narrative
Testimonial
Political Statement
When to use this quote
- Registering to vote
- Facing police intimidation
- Traveling for civil rights
- Attempting to become a citizen
- Encountering discriminatory tests
Key Concepts
Literacy Tests
Voter Suppression
Segregation
Grassroots Organizing
Practical Applications
- Historical education on voting rights
- Designing anti‑suppression campaigns
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern voter ID laws echo past suppression tactics?
- What strategies can strengthen voter access today?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that literacy tests were neutral qualifications, but they were administered discriminatorily to disenfranchise Black voters.
![“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_robbed_some-of-my-people-could-have-been-left-i_142242.jpg)
