S2 A1 Assignment | Reflective Questions - Fannie Lou Hamer

The film and chapter illustrate the power of working people to struggle for social change by illustrating the life of Fannie Lou Hamer, who came from and was herself a working class person  that knew intimately the racist, classist nature of America and the degradation of poverty. She spoke with “a moral authority that can only come from suffering.” Her story demonstrates that real change only happens when those who are oppressed find their voice to speak truth to power. In so doing, they can change the hearts and minds of some from within the dominate group, building alliances that can move us closer to living up to the ideals of our nation and the mandates of our God.  

Hamer’s virtues include:

Courage: the ability to stand up to those in power even when threatened by violence and imprisonment  

Conviction: Unwavering belief in ones calling to fight for justice

Pride: Knowing one’s value as a human being with the right to live in freedom and equality

Clarity: The ability to see through the lies of the dominate culture and call out its hypocrisy

Inspiration: Speaking with authority from scripture and relating it to the situations at hand

The film and chapter illustrate the power of working people to struggle for social change by illustrating the life of Fannie Lou Hamer, who came from and was herself a working class person  that knew intimately the racist, classist nature of America and the degradation of poverty. She spoke with “a moral authority that can only come from suffering.” Her story demonstrates that real change only happens when those who are oppressed find their voice to speak truth to power. In so doing, they can change the hearts and minds of some from within the dominate group, building alliances that can move us closer to living up to the ideals of our nation and the mandates of our God.  

Hamer’s virtues include:

Courage: the ability to stand up to those in power even when threatened by violence and imprisonment  

Conviction: Unwavering belief in ones calling to fight for justice

Pride: Knowing one’s value as a human being with the right to live in freedom and equality

Clarity: The ability to see through the lies of the dominate culture and call out its hypocrisy

Inspiration: Speaking with authority from scripture and relating it to the situations at hand

Power of working people to struggle for social change

Watching the film and reading the chapter made me feel like I was there - or wanted to be there. Both versions of Hamer’s life story showed me the power of first-person testimony. Of how direct and plain storytelling has enormous authenticity and in the same breath, communicates both experience and meaning.

“The power of working people” is, to me, analogous to saying “the power of people who lived this story.” A first-person story of lived experience – like Hamer’s – is powerful. That her story is bigger than her life increases the impact on everyone who sees/reads it.

I often remind my students that “simplicity lives on the far side of complexity.” The power of working people’s struggle for social justice is rooted in the raw authenticity of their voices and stories. There is no hyperbole, no fluff, no extraneous explanations. It isn’t necessary. Plain truth in plain language. Full stop.  

In Hamer’s stories and spoken words, her lived experiences of injustice, hatred, and hardship are born of other people’s fears and power over her. Yet even people who disagree with the goals of justice work, cannot dismiss the truth of what she and others endured. In this way the lives of working people, the struggles they go through, and their steadfast commitment to a more just world can be disagreed with, but they cannot be erased. The stories of people’s lives form the bedrock of action.

Finally, the working people in the Hamer life story all have deep roots in their faith and their cause. They have all developed a fierce determination to change the way things are. They are willing to put their lives on the line because, as Hamer said, “We’ve been down so long, we have nowhere to go but up.”

What virtues/qualities about Hamer's life inspire you?

Hamer’s life inspires me in lots of ways. Mostly, she held an unshakable belief in the righteousness of the work she was called to do. She said “yes” to that calling countless times. She said “yes” no matter what. She channeled her anger and pain toward working for the good of all. She said, “What kind of country is it that is afraid to let the people know the truth? I’m not crying for myself today, but I’m crying for America.”

I admire that she always took the next step building on the last step. She learned her way forward and never wavered in her vision or commitment. In fact, she expanded it throughout her life. “…don’t tell me that you can’t change a man’s mind by not hating. We have gone through all kinds of pressure, but I refuse to hate a man because he hate me. Because if I hate you because you hate me, it’s no different, both of us are miserable.”

M. Cross

Transformative Leadership

Dr. Leonard McMahon

Lesson 2, Assignment 1

Reflective Question

1.  How do the film and the chapter illustrate the power of working people to struggle for social change?

Both the video and the chapter emphasis the importance of the everyday working people. Their stories and lives not only represent the beleaguered population but there existence make the struggle real. Hearing the voices of the oppressed validate the need for change. And no one can tell the story like they can. Fannie Lou Hamer’s life and testimony is very similar to my own upbringing. The advice and admonition her mother imparted to her was the foundation of her life giving her a voice for all those whose experience mirrored hers. Mrs. Hamer’s mother told her she was valued and important, that she was as good as anyone else. She also let her know there was no shame in being Black, but the being Black was a blessing. Not something normally said of the Black race, even by Negroes themselves who tended to appear satisfied with the status quo in order to get bay. Fannie Lou Hamer story let others know they were not alone and empowered there demand.

The voice of Fannie Lou Hamer unified those who had suffered just as she had and strengthened their faith and resolve and the demand for equality

2. What virtues/qualities about Hamer’s life inspired you?

What I found inspirational was Mrs. Hamer’s incorporation of scripture into the cause of and plea for equality of Black people. The scriptures she cited were not used to vilify the oppressors but to point out God’s views on what was happening. Her strength came from her faith in God and she did not hesitate to use scripture in word and song to encourage, inspire, and motivate.

Also, her perseverance in the cause left an impression on me and I am in awe of her resilience. Where others (probably me as well) would have given up, especially after the beatings, somehow she took all the pain, mistreatment, and risk irrespective of danger, and kept going.

Katherine Whitney

Transformative Leadership Assignment 2, part 1

Fannie Lou Hamer’s power came from her direct experience with poverty and injustice and her unflinching ability to describe it in eloquent detail to anyone and everyone who would hear her story. She rallied other working people around her through her charisma, truth-telling, and use of scripture. And because she was one of them. She amplified her voice by engaging with organized groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which she helped found. And she spoke truth to power the whole way, culminating in televised testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

Watching the film alongside the reading was critical for me, as I got an idea of her charisma and her righteous anger that came from her experience. She also had a light in her eyes and was quick to smile. She embodied hope and joy in the midst of a life of poverty and injustice. In addition to joy, she did not hide her full humanity– grief, fatigue, anger—and this authenticity was a key component in her leadership.

The qualities that inspire me include her confidence and clarity; her eloquence; her deep connection with scripture and her Christian faith; her self-respect and respect for others; her dignity (inspired by her mother in particular); her commitment to truth; her refusal to be silent; her moral conviction; her compassion for all people, including her oppressors – think of her time in jail; her insistence on nonviolence; her authenticity; her strength, both physical and moral; how she stood on principle. There is so much to admire. It breaks my heart that she died in illness and poverty.

When I reflect on the life of Fannie Lou Hamer, what stands out to me most is how both the film and the chapter highlight the power of ordinary people to create real change. Hamer’s story begins in the cotton fields of Mississippi, where she and her family lived as sharecroppers under extremely difficult conditions. Poverty, racial violence, and systemic oppression were part of everyday life. These were not people with influence or access, but their lived experience became the foundation for something much larger. The chapter describes generations of Black sharecroppers working long hours in harsh conditions and facing violence when they challenged the system. That context makes it even more powerful to see people like Hamer find their voice and begin organizing for change.¹

What I took from both the film and the reading is that social change does not always start with institutions or people in positions of authority. It often begins with people who know what it means to struggle. Hamer spoke from her own experience, and because of that, people trusted her. She helped others recognize their dignity and their collective strength. That stood out to me because it shows how leadership can grow out of community rather than hierarchy. When people begin to see that they are not alone, something shifts. That shared understanding can become a foundation for action.

The virtue that stands out most to me in her life is courage. She spoke out in situations where there were real risks. Her courage did not feel performative. It felt grounded in truth and conviction. She kept showing up and using her voice, even when it was dangerous to do so. That challenges me to think about how courage shows up in my own life. I serve as a maternal figure to several young adults, many of whom have lost parents or have been rejected by their families. They come to me for guidance, support, and sometimes just a sense of belonging. Even though these are adult relationships, there are moments when I have to speak hard truths, set boundaries, or confront behavior that is not healthy. Those moments are not easy. They can feel uncomfortable and, at times, a little scary. But I have come to see that this is also a form of courage. It is one thing to care about someone. It is another thing to say what needs to be said, especially when there is a risk of tension or distance. In that way, courage is not always public or visible. Sometimes it shows up quietly in relationships, in the decision to be honest, to be present, and to lead with both care and accountability.

I also see perseverance in her life. She continued her work even when progress was slow and resistance was constant. That kind of persistence reflects a deeper commitment. It reminds me that leadership is not about one moment or one action. It is about continuing to show up over time.²

Another thing that stayed with me is how connected she remained to working people. She did not separate herself from the community. She stayed rooted in it. That kind of humility and authenticity made her leadership relatable and trustworthy. People could see themselves in her. In my own work, I value patience, responsibility, and trustworthiness, and I can see those same qualities in how she led. She showed patience with people, took responsibility for her community, and was consistent in a way that built trust.

Hamer’s life reminds me that working people, when they come together, have the power to create meaningful change. Her leadership was not about recognition. It was about showing up, staying grounded, and helping others find their voice. What I take from her example is that the work begins with who we are becoming, and how those qualities shape what we are willing to do for others.

Citations

Albert J. Raboteau, American Prophets: Seven Religious Radicals and Their Struggle for Social Justice (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016), chapter on Fannie Lou Hamer.

Transformative Leadership Course Lecture, Week 2, Fannie Lou Hamer discussion on virtues and social activism.

When I reflect on the life of Fannie Lou Hamer, what stands out to me most is how both the film and the chapter highlight the power of ordinary people to create real change. Hamer’s story begins in the cotton fields of Mississippi, where she and her family lived as sharecroppers under extremely difficult conditions. Poverty, racial violence, and systemic oppression were part of everyday life. These were not people with influence or access, but their lived experience became the foundation for something much larger. The chapter describes generations of Black sharecroppers working long hours in harsh conditions and facing violence when they challenged the system. That context makes it even more powerful to see people like Hamer find their voice and begin organizing for change.¹

What I took from both the film and the reading is that social change does not always start with institutions or people in positions of authority. It often begins with people who know what it means to struggle. Hamer spoke from her own experience, and because of that, people trusted her. She helped others recognize their dignity and their collective strength. That stood out to me because it shows how leadership can grow out of community rather than hierarchy. When people begin to see that they are not alone, something shifts. That shared understanding can become a foundation for action.

The virtue that stands out most to me in her life is courage. She spoke out in situations where there were real risks. Her courage did not feel performative. It felt grounded in truth and conviction. She kept showing up and using her voice, even when it was dangerous to do so. That challenges me to think about how courage shows up in my own life. I serve as a maternal figure to several young adults, many of whom have lost parents or have been rejected by their families. They come to me for guidance, support, and sometimes just a sense of belonging. Even though these are adult relationships, there are moments when I have to speak hard truths, set boundaries, or confront behavior that is not healthy. Those moments are not easy. They can feel uncomfortable and, at times, a little scary. But I have come to see that this is also a form of courage. It is one thing to care about someone. It is another thing to say what needs to be said, especially when there is a risk of tension or distance. In that way, courage is not always public or visible. Sometimes it shows up quietly in relationships, in the decision to be honest, to be present, and to lead with both care and accountability.

I also see perseverance in her life. She continued her work even when progress was slow and resistance was constant. That kind of persistence reflects a deeper commitment. It reminds me that leadership is not about one moment or one action. It is about continuing to show up over time.²

Another thing that stayed with me is how connected she remained to working people. She did not separate herself from the community. She stayed rooted in it. That kind of humility and authenticity made her leadership relatable and trustworthy. People could see themselves in her. In my own work, I value patience, responsibility, and trustworthiness, and I can see those same qualities in how she led. She showed patience with people, took responsibility for her community, and was consistent in a way that built trust.

Hamer’s life reminds me that working people, when they come together, have the power to create meaningful change. Her leadership was not about recognition. It was about showing up, staying grounded, and helping others find their voice. What I take from her example is that the work begins with who we are becoming, and how those qualities shape what we are willing to do for others.

Citations

Albert J. Raboteau, American Prophets: Seven Religious Radicals and Their Struggle for Social Justice (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016), chapter on Fannie Lou Hamer.

Transformative Leadership Course Lecture, Week 2, Fannie Lou Hamer discussion on virtues and social activism.

Shiree Dyson

Transformative Leadership

Lesson 2 – Reflection. Fannie Lou Hamer

April 10, 2026

Fannie Lou Hamer: Is This America?

Question 1: How do the film and the chapter illustrate the power of working people to struggle for social change?

Both the film and Raboteau's chapter make the same argument. Change did not descend from above, it rose from the cotton fields of Sunflower County.

Raboteau frames the story of who she was and the world she inhabited. The land, the living conditions, the climate, and the grooming of the children picking cotton from age six. Despite all the threats and the loss, she fought back. Even after registering to vote, it cost Hamer her job and home. She was steadfast and unmovable. I believe her mother remained the thread that inspired her and kept her going.

 I appreciate that the film is told entirely in her own voice. You hear the tone, the inflection, the determination, and the commitment. One is completely immersed in the story of her journey.  That refusal to let someone else tell her story is, in itself, a form of the virtue she embodied. The film captured Hamer’s resistance as she worked to register Black voters, ran for Congress, and fought for economic opportunity. All the while, government leaders, the media, and even her civil rights peers tried to silence her.

With the unassailable weight of her own experience, she pressed forward and made a difference. Of course, this came at a cost, but nonetheless, she made an indelible mark.

Question 2: What virtues and qualities about Hamer's life inspire you?

Again, I came back to discipline. After the Winona jail, the permanent kidney damage, the blood clot in her eye, the sexual exposure, the trial (with the attackers as the jurors), she went back to Mississippi anyway. She didn’t stop - ran for Congress and continued to register voters. Each morning, she rose, regardless of illness, and made a daily choice to show up. I know she had to be worn in her spirit, in her body, and in her soul.

 This is what persistence looks like. When she told the registrar she would return every thirty days until she passed, she told Congress she would be back year after year. All the while dealing with constant harassment, death threats, sickness, loss of livelihood, and her health.

This persistence was made possible by her faith. Her belief came from the only consistent education she received as a youth. The bible study classes at Stanger’s Home Baptist Church. Her scripture for every speech was Luke 4:18, because it placed her within a story of suffering yet pointed forward.

Hamer showed that those closest to injustice had the clearest vision of what must change.

The leadership of Fannie Lou Hamer challenges me to examine how I lead from lived experience, not just vision. Her work was not built on performance—it was built on truth, risk, and responsibility to her people.

What stands out is her refusal to separate struggle. She understood that economic access, voice, identity, and opportunity are all connected. That directly reflects the work I am building through Summons Productions and Refuge of Mt. Olive. Both platforms sit at the intersection of creativity, community, and empowerment—but this lesson pushes me to be more intentional about how those intersections create real access, not just visibility.

I recognize that leadership is not about curating moments—it is about creating systems that allow people to participate, grow, and sustain themselves. Hamer didn’t wait for structure; she built it. That is the standard I am being called to meet.

Hello All,

I apologize for the confusion and appreciate everyone's diligence, but the forum is due after class. Let's clarify tomorrow 😉the forum is intended to be a space of reflection on what we discussed the prior Saturday. You can think of it via three broad prompts: With what did I agree in the reading? With what did I disagree? What questions, if any, do I have? The first shows your understanding of the reading; the second gives us your critical voice; and the third points toward your vision of tomorrow.

The posted questions above are only prompts for the week's reading; they are only suggestions to help frame your thinking.

Below please find a link to a New Yorker article we'll cover a bit tomorrow. Related to my replies in last week's forum, this introduces a critique on forgiveness by some younger black voices in Charleston, SC.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/28/blood-at-the-root

Blessings!

Dr McMahon

11 April 2026

Rev. CJ Dunford

Week 2 – Transformative Leadership – Fannie Lou Hamer - Forum Post

Assignment | Reflective Questions:

  1. How do the film and the chapter illustrate the power of working people to struggle for social change?

One of the most powerful things I observed is the need of forming coalitions, which I fear is much harder to find in contemporary organizing spaces—at least from what I’ve experienced. Part of the reason for this could be the vast amounts of misinformation and/or propaganda shared by the ruling/Epstein class along with the careless ways in which many people engage social media, not to mention the new proliferation of AI and its role in empowering confirmation bias.

Maybe one of the symptoms I’ve observed in my lifetime is the problem of how quickly that white and white-adjacent/aspirant people get defensive along with the enforcement of respectability politics and tone policing. I feel this myself as a person of European descent when I hear people of color calling out the harms of whiteness, but thanks to my Buddhist practice, I try to sit with that discomfort and really listen, rather than react. I can’t do it perfectly or every time, but I try my best.

Coming back to Hamer’s story, it felt really encouraging to see the transformative power of her truth telling and her own hope for a better nation in the collaboration across races with younger people. In order to really make change, we have to be able to see clearly, and it is incredibly difficult to be a truth-teller, as we observe in Fannie Lou Hamer’s story.

  2. What virtues/qualities about Hamer’s life inspire you?

“If I hate you for hating me, then I’m no better than you.” This is a deep understanding of compassion, which the Buddhadharma’s Metta Prayer teaches us the cultivation of which for our enemies is the most difficult. I honestly felt hatred in my heart when hearing the then governor Paul B. Johnson Jr. talk about the “reality” of Mississippi, and in hearing the abuse that Hamer endured. This is one of those lessons that I can understand intellectually, but rarely feel embodied in my own life, so it is incredible to see it living in Hamer's words and actions.

Along with her deep sense of compassion, I admired her courage and truth-telling. In my own context as a white transgender person serving a historically Japanese American community, I find it really difficult to understand the fear that I see almost daily when it comes to speaking up for justice and equity, but I constantly have to remind myself that there is so much I do not fully understand due to my privilege. In these moments, it is helpful for me to remember times when I experienced violence and exclusion because of my gender. At the same time, I look to people like Fannie Lou Hamer, Marsha P. Johnson, and Sylvia Rivera as fierce practitioners of compassion like Fudoo Myou or Manjusri.

Transformative Leadership - Week 2 - Reflective Questions - Ogundipe

1. How do the film and the chapter illustrate the power of working people to struggle for social change?
2. What virtues/qualities about Hamer’s life inspire you?  

1

The film and chapter are all about the power of working people to struggle for social change. It is difficult not to view Fannie Lou Hamer’s entire life itself as an illustration of the power of working people’s struggle for social change. Fannie Lou Hamer was born into this struggle and never looked back despite vicious abuse at the hands of racists that found her relentless movement towards inclusion and dignity a bridge too far.

Hamer was an organizing powerhouse. Two key examples of this is her work with:

1. The Freedom Farm Cooperative (FFC) and the “pig bank” which grew exponentially and provided not only food to families but also many spinoff benefits. The FFC also provided an avenue towards Black land ownership and generated enough profits to construct at least 70 homes (one of which Hamer lived in).
2. The Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) and the Freedom Party were able to work together to get local candidates elected, expanding the working people's access to the political power necessary to better their lives.

2

Fannie Lou Hamer had an endless number of virtues/qualities, but there is one above all that seemed to fuel her other qualities and that inspires me the most: fearlessness. Hamer’s fearlessness reminded me that my mother quoted 2 Timothy 1:7 throughout my life, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear.” She would often remind me of this verse when I was facing both big and small challenges. I remember her words and Hamer was a living embodiment of this part of scripture. It is such a simple sentence (“God hath not given us the spirit of fear”), but one that dogs most of us, at least it dog me. Hamer was beaten, assaulted, rejected, cheated, disrespect, and more, and she kept getting up and fighting and forgiving even harder than the last time. I think we live in a time that requires fearlessness to face the many challenges before us. Fannie Lou Hamer was never scared, at least she did not let fear stop her. We would be wise to take heed to her example, the living testament of her life.

Deborah Anderson- Transformative Leadership. Assignment 2.1

Fannie Lou Hamer’s life deeply moves me, and as I reflected on her story, I found myself thinking more carefully about the power of faith and conviction in transformative leadership. Her experiences made the realities of suffering, courage, and hope feel immediate and personal to me. I hear again that leadership does not begin with position or privilege, but with ordinary people who are grounded in faith and willing to act. Hamer’s courage, dignity, and solidarity, all rooted in a sustaining faith, stirred my heart and challenged me to examine how I live out my own beliefs.

As I reflect on Hamer’s courage, I am struck by how fully embodied it was—both moral and physical. She spoke truth in hostile and dangerous spaces, fully aware of the risks she faced. What moved me most was realizing that her courage was not about being fearless, but about refusing to let fear silence her. Even after experiencing violence and imprisonment, she continued to speak out against injustice. Her example causes me to reflect on the ways I may hesitate to speak truth when doing so feels uncomfortable or costly.

I was also deeply moved by Hamer’s sense of dignity. She carried within her an unshakable understanding of her worth as a child of God, even in a society determined to deny her humanity. Reading this made me pause and consider how easily dignity can be eroded by injustice, and how intentional one must be to resist that message. Hamer’s leadership reminds me that dignity is not something granted by others, but something claimed and lived. By affirming not only her own worth but the worth of all who were marginalized, she spoke with a moral authority that continues to resonate.

Hamer’s leadership was deeply rooted in solidarity. She did not act alone or seek personal recognition but grounded her work in the shared struggle of working people organizing for change. This challenges my tendency to think of leadership in individual terms. Her life reminds me that transformation most often grows through collective courage and shared commitment.

Underlying all of these virtues is faith—not as a private belief, but as a sustaining force. Hamer’s faith gave her strength to endure suffering, courage to confront injustice, and hope to continue when the cost was high. Her witness reshapes my understanding of leadership as standing with others—grounded in faith, committed to dignity, and willing to act for the sake of justice

Edward Bailey

4/11/26

Reflective Question: Fannie Lou Hamer

Honestly, what really hit me from both the film and the chapter is how all this change really came from regular people. Not celebrities, not people with money or power, just everyday folks who got tired of being treated wrong. Fannie Lou Hamer was literally a sharecropper. She was out there working in the fields, struggling like everybody else, and still found the courage to stand up. That’s what makes it different for me. It’s not some distant story, it’s real people making real moves.

And what’s wild is, she knew exactly what could happen to her. She lost her job, got kicked off the land, got threatened, and even got beaten almost to death… and still didn’t back down. That shows how strong working people can be when they decide enough is enough. It’s like once people start seeing the truth and realizing they deserve better, it’s hard to shut that down. The system was built to keep them quiet, but they kept speaking anyway, and that’s where the real power was.

As for Hamer herself, yeah… she’s different. Her courage is probably the biggest thing for me. It’s one thing to say you believe in something, but it’s another thing to keep standing on it when it’s costing you everything. She really stood on business in that way. No backing down, no switching up.

I also like how real she was. She wasn’t trying to sound fancy or educated, she just spoke straight from what she lived through. And honestly, that’s probably why people felt her so much. When she said “Is this America?” it hit different because you could feel everything behind it. It wasn’t just words, it was pain, frustration, truth… all of it.

Her faith stood out too, but not in a fake or surface-level way. It felt real. Like she really believed God was with her in all of this, and that gave her strength. But she didn’t just sit around praying, she was outside doing the work too. Helping people eat, find housing, organize,  she was active with it.

One thing that really stuck with me is how she didn’t move off hate. After everything she went through, she still talked about love and trying to reach people instead of just writing them off. That’s hard to do, especially after that kind of trauma. That takes a different type of strength.

Overall, Hamer made me realize that real change doesn’t start with perfect people, it starts with people who are willing to step up, even when it’s uncomfortable or dangerous. She didn’t wait to be ready, she just moved. And that’s what made her powerful.

The virtues and qualities that stand out most in Hamer’s life are her courage, resilience, and authenticity. Her courage is evident in her willingness to continue organizing despite threats, arrests, and physical violence. She did not back down, even when the consequences were severe. Her resilience is equally powerful—she endured trauma but refused to be silenced by it. Instead, she used her experiences as fuel to keep pushing forward. This kind of persistence shows that strength is not about avoiding hardship, but about continuing the work in spite of it.

Amanda Weaver

What resonated most deeply about Fannie Lou Hamer’s life was the sense of self and self-esteem that she possessed from a very young age. As the reading and video presented it, these rarely wavered, despite facing the daily reality of racism, violence, and exclusion as well as the heightened scrutiny and public derision that came with being a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, conditions that would have broken many people. In life, she must have had many moments of self-doubt and uncertainty, but what history remembers is her take me or leave me confidence.

Where this most struck me was the decision to walk away from the grudging offer of two non-voting seats at the Democratic National Convention despite the advice of high-profile activists to accept the “symbolic victory,” (Raboteau p.184). I understand the decision to walk away from what was less a compromise and more an attempt to sideline opposition to the powers that be. As Hamer put it, “We didn’t come all this way for no two seats,” (Raboteau p.184).

I wonder what would have changed had those two seats been accepted.  Would taking those seats have added legitimacy in the eyes of those who viewed her as Johnson did as “that illiterate woman,” (Raboteau p. 183)? For that matter, would she have occupied one of those seats, or would they have both gone to other members of the delegation who might have been deemed more palatable to the rest of the convention and/or to Johnson? There is no way to know, but it is interesting to think about.

Raboteau’s portrayal and the way the documentary was edited portray Hamer as an incredibly strong, self-reliant, unbelievably resilient individual. I have no doubt that she was all those things; she would not have made history if she was not. However, as inspiring as that image is, it feels a bit flat.

Looking back with a “modern” lens, I wonder if the portrayal of activists as almost superhuman – always strong and assured, never doubting, plays into some of society’s issues today. These portrayals shape our view of inspiring leaders as people who can safely be placed on pedestals and left unexamined; Cesar Chavez comes to mind here. They also shape our view of what it means to be a leader, and not acknowledging that leaders need support and grounding leads to burnout.