Fannie Lou Hamer rattled the Democratic convention with her speech 60 years ago: 'Is this America?'

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(21 Aug 2024)
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ARCHIVE: Atlantic City, New Jersey - 22 August 1964
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Fannie Lou Hamer, Civil Rights Activist:
"If the freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America. Is this America? The land of the free and the home of the brave. Why we have to sleep with our telephones off the hook because our lives be threatened daily."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Atlantic City, New Jersey - 20 August 2024
2. Various of Freedom Trail marker being unveiled
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3. SOUNDBITE (English) John Spann, Program Outreach Director, Mississippi Humanities Council:
"Mississippi came to Atlantic City to make this challenge to say that, hey Mississippi actually deserves better. Mississippi deserves to be represented in a full account of democracy. Not only that we want to hold a mirror, not only to our state but to America to be what it said it could be on paper."
4. Wide of Boardwalk Hall
5. Close-up of Freedom Trail Marker
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6. SOUNDBITE (English) Gov.Tate Reeves, (R) Mississippi:
"It was here that she delivered her famous speech in favor of integration and where she recounted the harrowing events that she had been forced to face just to exercise her most basic rights. And as this marker notes while the efforts to integrate the delegation we're not successful in 1964, it directly led to Mississippi's first integrated delegation in 1968."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jackson, Mississippi - 14 August 2024
7. Various of Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
8. Various of "I Question America" exhibit at Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
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9. SOUNDBITE (English) David Dennis Sr., Civil Rights Activist:
"When she challenged America by saying, is this America? Home of the free, you know, that really stuck."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bolton, Mississippi - 14 August 2024
10. Wide of Bolton
11. Close-up of Rep. Bennie Thompson's plaque award
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12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D) Mississippi:
"My going to help Ms. Hamer help people in the Mississippi Delta that kind of got me recalibrated to where I needed to do some things at home."
13. Wide of Thompson taking calls in his office
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14. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D) Mississippi:
"She fought for that participation to go forward and we have to make sure that that participation in this day and time continues to go forward."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jackson, Mississippi - 14 August 2024
15. Close-up of "I Question America" exhibit at Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

STORYLINE:
Fannie Lou Hamer (HAY'-mer) was a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

In 1964, the racially integrated group challenged seating of an all-white Mississippi delegation to the Democratic National Convention.

Hamer told the credentials committee about losing her home and being beaten because of civil rights activities.

Her testimony eventually led to Mississippi's first integrated delegation in 1968.

On Tuesday, the first Mississippi Freedom Trail marker outside the state was unveiled in Atlantic City to commemorate Hamer and the Freedom Democrats.

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