Category: civil rights

+

Fannie Lou Hamer in “March”: Part II

In the last post, I started looking at the ways that John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell depict Fannie Lou Hamer’s speech in front of the Credentials Committee at the Democratic National Convention in 1964. Today, I want to finish looking at that sequence, focusing on the latter part of Hamer’s speech and moving into her interaction with Hubert H. Humphrey later during … Read More Fannie Lou Hamer in “March”: Part II

The History Kept From Me

The draft opinion for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization dropped last week, and the opinion calls for the overturn of Roe v. Wade (1973). Countless people, more informed than I, have commented on this over the past week. However, I wanted to write down my own thoughts, at least my thought process, if not for anyone else than at least for myself and … Read More The History Kept From Me

+

Fannie Lou Hamer in “March”: Part I

In a recent post, I wrote about a couple of individuals and events that I wish the March Trilogy spent some more time exploring. As I said in that post, I know that the trilogy could not cover everything and everyone involved in the Civil Rights Movement; however, as we move towards book three, we begin to see more of the movement outside of … Read More Fannie Lou Hamer in “March”: Part I

+

Pauli Murray and the March on Washington

Last post, I wrote about how as I reread March and Darkroom I started thinking about the gutter within these texts, the moments and individuals that the texts do not have the space or the scope to cover. I wrote about Lillian Smith’s connection to the movement, a connection that does not fit in with the narrative scope of either March or Darkroom, both … Read More Pauli Murray and the March on Washington

+

Reflections on Lil

As the date approached to unveil the historical marker honoring the life, work, and legacy of Lillian E. Smith I kept stressing over how many people would attend the event. I didn’t think, at any point, about how I’d actually feel during the ceremony itself. However, when the ceremony began on that cloudless spring day, with the birds singing in the trees and the … Read More Reflections on Lil