walk with me a biography of fannie lou hamer

Her powerful voice, in song and speeches, inspired millions to stand up and speak out against inequality. She stood up to influential civil rights leaders who tried to dismiss her because she was female, poor, and uneducated. When a white doctor (whom Larson names for the first time in this book) sterilized her without her permission in 1961, she channeled her anger into voting rights activism.īrutally beaten because she wanted to vote, Hamer survived to carry her fury to the 1964 Democratic National Convention, where, in a searing televised appearance that brought many to tears, she begged Americans to end racial injustice. The 20th child of poor Mississippi Delta sharecroppers struggling to raise their children in a place governed by racism and violence, Hamer survived because of her mother’s determination and a commitment to imbue pride and confidence in her daughter.Īs the Civil Rights Movement emerged during the 1950s, Hamer was toiling with her husband on the same lands her ancestors ploughed, planted, and harvested. “Walk with Me” captures Hamer’s interior life, shaped and fortified by family and faith, and illuminates the forces that made her an electrifying presence when she walked onto stages across the country during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.įew historical figures embody the courage, sacrifice, and inspired heroism of Fannie Lou Hamer. In this much-anticipated biography, Larson-best known for her critically acclaimed and bestselling biographies “Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero” and “Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter”-offers a breathtaking account of Hamer’s full history for a general audience.

Publishers Weekly in their positive review “gives a lesser-known activist her due.” In their starred review, Kirkus says, “with diligent research featuring new sources, Larson brings her subject into a well-deserved spotlight.” And Library Journal calls it “an inspiring read for activists fighting for voting rights and against racism,” in their starred review.

“Walk with Me” has received glowing advance reviews. Oxford University Press recently released “Walk with Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer” by award-winning historian and biographer Kate Clifford Larson.

Walk with me a biography of fannie lou hamer