Crews | Day 8 | Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the Freedom Summer Movement

"There is one thing you have got to learn about our movement. Three people are better than no people."
- Fannie Lou Hamer
 
By November of 1963, activists in Mississippi were exhausted and discouraged. Their efforts and strategies had inspired a movement, but not increased the number of Black voters.
 
Refusing to back down from their fight for liberation, organizers went back to the drawing board in search of inspiration. And, in the Summer of 1964, they emerged with a new plan that not only galvanized the movement but changed the course of history.
 
They called it the Mississippi Summer Project, also known as Freedom Summer. This student-led movement was a powerful demonstration of organizing, and it centered the leadership of two women; Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer.
 
Today we bring that summer back to life. Examining the strategies at the center of this pivotal moment in history.
 
More than a telling of a story, this is a celebration of brave, bold Black women who aren’t afraid to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. We walk in their footsteps.



Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free | Nina Simone:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5CKHhg31HcYYhwUeeGqvhq?si=a36d36b0659d4b8e

This Joy | Resistance Revival Chorus:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4CJFOJoOVLWeWqwnoCd8wk?si=7a0e19cd5d0942de