SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Plays in Process: Fannie Reading List
Librarians at Seattle Public Library curated a list of media to accompany our virtual event, Fannie, a part of our Plays in Process series. Get ready for the presentation with these related books, films, and music.
Though all Seattle Public Library locations are currently closed, learn about SPL's curbside pickup service.
The Senator and the Sharecropper: The Freedom Struggles of James O. Eastland and Fannie Lou Hamer
by Asch, Chris Myers
Book - 2008
This absorbing history follows the intertwined stories of two Mississippians: Fannie Lou Hamer, a key figure in the civil rights movement, and Senator James Eastland, a staunch segregationist who opposed Hamer's efforts to expand voting rights.
Fannie Lou Hamer: The Life of A Civil Rights Icon
by Bracey, Earnest N.
Book - 2011
Black historian Earnest Bracey presents an informative and engaging portrait of Hamer in this short biography that highlights her work with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
Fannie Lou Hamer: America's Freedom Fighting Woman
by Brooks, Maegan Parker
Book - 2020
This recent biography of Hamer is an accessible and enlightening introduction to the life of the woman Malcolm X once dubbed "the country's number one freedom fighting woman."
A Voice That Could Stir An Army: Fannie Lou Hamer and the Rhetoric of the Black Freedom Movement
by Brooks, Maegan Parker
Book - 2014
Parker, a communications professor, analyzes the symbolism, power and imagery of Hamer's speeches in this companion volume to The Speeches of Fannie Lou Hamer.
Classic African American Gospel
Music CD - 2008
Hamer was known for her powerful singing voice as well as her civil rights activism. This collection of African American gospel songs includes her rendition of "Go Tell It On the Mountain."
Fannie Lou Hamer, Voting Rights Activist
Streaming Video - 2016
This short documentary film (about 67 min) provides a concise biographical sketch of Hamer's life and her work as a civil rights activist in the 1960s.
Festival: Folk Music at Newport, 1963-1966
DVD - 2017
In this historic film, cinematographer Murray Lerner captured many riveting performances during the Newport Folk Festival's peak years, including Fannie Lou Hamer singing songs of protest and freedom.
The Speeches of Fannie Lou Hamer: To Tell It Like It Is
by Hamer, Fannie Lou
Book - 2011
Hamer was a gifted orator, who possessed a remarkable ability to connect with her audiences through her plainspoken yet stirring speeches. This volume collects 21 of her most important speeches and places them in historical context.
Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All
by Jones, Martha S.
Book - 2020
In this insightful social history, Black historian Martha S. Jones places Hamer's untiring work for voting rights within a larger history of Black women's civil rights activism, stretching from the early 19th century to the present day.
A Place of Rage
Web Resource
Angela Davis, Alice Walker, and June Jordan discuss the life and legacy of Black women civil rights activists like Fannie Lou Hamer and Rosa Parks in this short, inspiring documentary.
Freedom Summer: The Savage Summer That Made Mississippi Burn and Made America A Democracy
by Watson, Bruce
Book - 2010
Hamer was one of the key organizers of Freedom Summer, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, which culminated in her historic speech at the 1964 Democratic National Convention as a member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
Jar the Floor
by West, Cheryl L.
Book - 2002
Explore more of Fannie playwright Cheryl L. West's work by reading one of her earliest works, a heartwarming dramatic comedy about four Black women, spanning four generations.
Black American Experience - Famous Human Rights Crusaders: Ida B. Wells & Fannie Lou Hamer
Streaming Video - 2016
This engaging documentary juxtaposes the lives of two phenomenal Black women activists - Ida B. Wells, a journalist and anti-lynching crusader in the late 19th/early 20th century, and Fannie Lou Hamer, a 1960s voting rights champion.
The Social Power of Music
Web Resource
From Smithsonian Folkways Recordings comes a collection of more than 80 songs that "remind us that music has the potential to change our world," including Fannie Lou Hamer's rendition of "I Woke Up This Morning."
