Never to forget where we came from and always praise the bridges that carried us over.
We hadn't heard anything about registering to vote because when you see this flat land in here, when the people would get out of the fields, if they had a radio, they'd be too tired to play it. So we didn't know what was going on in the rest of the state, even, much less in other places.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the disconnect and lack of information that can occur in rural communities, impacting civic engagement.
Fannie Lou Hamer's quote reflects on the challenges faced by people in rural areas, emphasizing how physical exhaustion and a lack of access to information hinder their political participation, particularly in the context of voter registration. It underscores the importance of awareness and engagement in democratic processes, suggesting that without proper communication and resources, many individuals may remain uninformed about critical civic activities.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the importance of voter awareness, this quote can illustrate the challenges faced in rural areas.
More from Fannie Lou Hamer
All quotes →You can pray until you faint, but unless you get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap.
People have got to get together and work together. I'm tired of the kind of oppression that white people have inflicted on us and are still trying to inflict.
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 United States, but people all over the world.
Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives be threatened daily, because we want to live as decent human beings in America?
I was forced away from the plantation because I wouldn't go back and withdraw, you know, my literacy test after I had tried to take it. I wouldn't go back.
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