Cooperatives Quote by Fannie Lou Hamer
![“[On her Freedom Farm Cooperative:] If you give a hungry man food, he will eat it. [But] if you give him land, he will grow his own food.” quote by Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/986/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_cooperatives_on-her-freedom-farm-cooperative-if-you-g_880776.jpg)
“[On her Freedom Farm Cooperative:] If you give a hungry man food, he will eat it. [But] if you give him land, he will grow his own food.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Freedom Farm Cooperative Meeting, 1964
Providing basic needs sustains, but granting ownership empowers lasting self‑sufficiency.
In simple terms: Land gives lasting independence.
Key Takeaway
Support land ownership for lasting change.
Themes
empowerment
self‑reliance
justice
Mood
inspirational
urgent
Type
activist
social
When to use this quote
- Food banks
- housing programs
- land trusts
- education initiatives
Key Concepts
Economic autonomy
community building
rights
Questions to Reflect On
- What resources accompany land to ensure success?
- How can communities protect new owners?
A Different Perspective
Land alone doesn't solve systemic inequality.
![“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)
![“The president [Barack Obama] decided to leave more troops than he had originally planned in Afghanistan. We have a very cooperative government there, with Ashraf Ghani and his top - his top partner, Abdullah. And they are doing their very best. And the Afghan army is actually fighting. The Afghan…” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/941/hillary-clinton-51_afghan_the-president-barack-obama-decided-to-le_169911.jpg)
