I don't know what most white people in this country feel,

but I can only include what they feel from the state of their institutions.

Now, this is the evidence.

You want me to make an act of faith, risking myself, my wife, my woman, my sister, my children,

on some idealism which you assure me exists in America, which I have never seen.

Welcome back to Black History for White People,

a podcast where we educate, resource, and challenge white people about black history.

I'm Brad, and on today's show are my co-host

Katina and Garen. In celebration of Black History Month, we will be releasing new episodes

every Wednesday in February. So be on the lookout for twice the content this month.

Today's topic is Fannie Lou Hamer. We walk through Fannie's life story, talk of events that

shaped her character, discuss her

impact on black and brown people in America, and in the conversation discussing the importance

and necessity that black women have in each of our lives. We hope you enjoy the discussion.

Okay, y'all, I don't know anything about Fannie Lou Hamer, and I would bet that our listeners, most of our white listeners, have no idea she is.

So, Katina, you're going to have to really help us out here.

What's set up the scene for her coming into the world and where she's from, and then we can start to dive into her life.

Yes, indeed.

Fannie was born the youngest of 20 children to her parents, Ella and James Lee Townsend, in 1917,

to the backdrop of Jim Crow, rural Mississippi.

They were a family of sharecroppers, which for black folks was another name for slavery. Fannie learned to pick

cotton at the age of six to help her family survive. And they say that by the age of 13, Fannie was able to

...