--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A white man killed the mules and our cows…" description: "\"A white man killed the mules and our cows that knocked us right back down. And things got so tough then I began to wish I was white.\" — Fannie Lou Hamer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_cows_a-white-man-killed-the-mules-and-our-cow_535736.png" --- # A white man killed the mules and our cows that knocked us… ![“A white man killed the mules and our cows that knocked us right back down. And things got so tough then I began to wish I was white.” quote by Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_cows_a-white-man-killed-the-mules-and-our-cow_535736.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_cows_a-white-man-killed-the-mules-and-our-cow_535736.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_cows_a-white-man-killed-the-mules-and-our-cow_535736.png) > “A white man killed the mules and our cows that knocked us right back down. And things got so tough then I began to wish I was white.” [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker expresses despair and internalized racism after suffering severe hardship, wishing to be white for relief. **In simple terms:** Hardship leads to painful self‑hate. Key Takeaway Address systemic oppression openly. Themes racism identity despair Mood sorrowful hopeful Type testimonial political When to use this quote - activism - mental health - community support Key Concepts internalized oppression social inequality Questions to Reflect On - What can help heal internalized racism? - How can communities support those feeling hopeless? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex racial dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mules/) [White man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-man/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [ \[My father\] did get enough money to buy mules. We didn't have tractors, but he bought mules, wagons, cultivators and some farming equipment. As… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/my-father-did-get-enough-money-to-buy-mules-we-didn-t-have-tractors/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [Saw myself naked in front of a mirror a couple days ago - that's not the joke, that's what we called the setup. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tosh/saw-myself-naked-in-front-of-a-mirror-a-couple-days-ago-that-s-not/) [Daniel Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tosh/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [Actually, some of the things I experienced as a child still linger on; what the white man has done to the black people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/actually-some-of-the-things-i-experienced-as-a-child-still-linger-on/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [If the white man gives you anything - just remember when he gets ready he will take it right back. We have to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/if-the-white-man-gives-you-anything-just-remember-when-he-gets-ready/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [Where's Amy?" Ian put in. "Will you please get her to call that Evan character? He rings here twenty times a day. He's either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/where-s-amy-ian-put-in-will-you-please-get-her-to-call-that-evan/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [The National Park Service shot a mule in the face. He survived but had trouble swallowing and often food came out of his nose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleveland-amory/the-national-park-service-shot-a-mule-in-the-face-he-survived-but-had/) [Cleveland Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleveland-amory/) > [One has fear in front of a goat, in back of a mule, and on every side of a fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/one-has-fear-in-front-of-a-goat-in-back-of-a-mule-and-on-every-side/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [Language doesn't belong to grammarians, linguists, wordsmiths, writers, or editors. It belongs to the people who use it. It goes where people want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalie-maggio/language-doesn-t-belong-to-grammarians-linguists-wordsmiths-writers/) [Rosalie Maggio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalie-maggio/) > [My favorite sound is definitely mules. If it was an instrument, it's really pingthe touch of the black keys of the piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/my-favorite-sound-is-definitely-mules-if-it-was-an-instrument-it-s/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [I had so much fun touring the Grand Canyon area with the Sierra Club. I love to get outdoors and enjoy nature. We went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-gould/i-had-so-much-fun-touring-the-grand-canyon-area-with-the-sierra-club/) [Nolan Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-gould/) > [Self carries grief as a pack mule carries the side bags, being careful between the trees to leave extra room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hirshfield/self-carries-grief-as-a-pack-mule-carries-the-side-bags-being-careful/) [Jane Hirshfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hirshfield/) > [My mother always told me the best way to learn to deal with a man was to learn to ride a mule. She said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/my-mother-always-told-me-the-best-way-to-learn-to-deal-with-a-man-was/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. Number one, Prozac gives you a royal soft-on like you wouldn't believe, and number two you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-evans/antidepressants-are-the-biggest-fraud-in-the-world-number-one-prozac/) [Robert Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-evans/) > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## More by Fannie Lou Hamer > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/you-know-what-really-made-me-sick-i-was-in-washington-d-c-at-another/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/it-was-the-31st-of-august-in-1962-that-eighteen-of-us-traveled-twenty/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/i-am-sick-and-tired-of-being-sick-and-tired/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [ I met one child there eleven years old, speaking three languages \[in Guinea\]. He could speak English, French and Malinke. Speaking my language actually… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/i-met-one-child-there-eleven-years-old-speaking-three-languages-in/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [ ... 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/some-of-my-people-could-have-been-left-in-africa-and-are-living-there/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [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." 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People have been put in the river year after year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/the-mississippi-is-not-the-only-river-there-s-the-tallahatchie-and/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [I was in jail when Medgar Evers was murdered and nothing, I mean nothing has been done about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/i-was-in-jail-when-medgar-evers-was-murdered-and-nothing-i-mean/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [“Whether you have a Ph. D. or no D. we're in this bag together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/whether-you-have-a-ph-d-or-no-d-we-re-in-this-bag-together/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [What I really feel is necessary is that the black people in this country wil have to upset this apple cart. We can no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/what-i-really-feel-is-necessary-is-that-the-black-people-in-this/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [One day I know the struggle will change. There's got to be a change-not only for Mississippi, not only for the people in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/one-day-i-know-the-struggle-will-change-there-s-got-to-be-a-change/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [A black woman's body was never hers alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/a-black-woman-s-body-was-never-hers-alone/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I hear it; I say, with the handful, for the handful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/with-the-people-for-the-people-by-the-people-i-crack-up-when-i-hear/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) [Explore all 118 Fannie Lou Hamer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) ## More Cows quotes > [We were so poor as kids. 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