Resistance | Day 6 | Fannie vs. The President

“Mr. Chairman... my name is Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, and I live at 626 East Lafayette Street, Ruleville, Mississippi, Sunflower County, the home of Senator James O. Eastland, and Senator Stennis. It was the 31st of August in 1962...”

And that’s how it began.

The most harrowing account of our hero being beaten in a jail cell by officers. Arrested for trying to vote. Her words so powerful, her eyes so honest and spirit so bright that the president of the United States of America, Lyndon B. Johnson, was terrified that she would so deeply move the nation in her national broadcast at the Democratic National Convention that he interrupted her testimony with a fake press conference.

But he couldn’t stop her. Listen, when God is for you, who can be against you. We already knew that Fannie came to play zero games when she brought her white purse to the front of the convention and sat it on the table. Black People: bring your full selves to this movement and you will be unstoppable.

No matter how you look, where you are, how you feel, you can do this. Join us today as we listen to the actual testimony together of one of the greatest in the game.

Join the second edition of GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with inspiring words, survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories and explore the pivotal moments from some of the most powerful movements in Black history.

Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excerpts played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:

Casey J - If God / Nothing But The Blood:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaS59ddVkao

Audio of Fannie Lou Hamer's Testimony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3WaEsCB98