Bibliography
Weatherford, C.B. 2015. Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement. Ill. by by Ekua Holmes. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9781536203257
Plot Summary
Weatherford tells the story of the pain and struggles that the Civil Rights Leader, Fannie Lou Hamer, had to once face. Weatherford uses her writing of the story along with quotes taken from Hamer herself, which are shown in italics throughout the collection of the poems.
The obstacles Hamer faced are explained throughout the book, from growing up as a young girl picking cotton and later being tricked into getting an operation done that took away being able to have children of her own, to being told to leave her husband and adopted children if she wanted to live for signing up to vote, only to almost be beaten to death.
However, the novel also illustrates when things turn up when her speech was broadcasted on TV, being one of the first black women to sit in Congress on the House floor.
Critical Analysis
In this collection of poems, Weatherford tells the life story of Fanne Lou Hamer. The use of language and the emotions shown throughout the poems provide the reader with a sense of realism of the segregated lifestyle and hardships of a female African American in the mid-20th century.
While expressing dramatic tales of Hamer’s life with graphic language, Weatherford uses quotes from Fanne Lou Hamer to provide the reader with an authentic feel of the narrative. This is not only because the quotes from Hamer illustrate the traumatizing events she experienced, but they also represent Hamer’s use of ebonics. For example, with quotes like “My parents never did get a chance to get up again,” and “songs that would really sank down in me,/powerful message songs,” the reader can see a portrayal of authenticity from not only the writer but from Hamer herself.
The emotions sensed throughout the collection of poems is apparent. With events of Hamer being tricked into a surgery, that “removed the parts/ that God gave me to bring children into the world,” and being tossed in jail for no apparent charge and being beaten by police officers “till we were both exhausted,” Weatherford expresses a sorrow emotion throughout the collection of poems. In doing this, it reinforces the illumination of the tragic past that Fanne Lou Hamer, along with many other female African Americans, once faced.
Review Excerpt(s)
- 2016 Caldecott Honor Book
- 2016 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
- 2016 John Steptoe Award for New Talent
- Starred review in Kirkus Review:"Young readers who open this book with just a vague notion of who Fannie Lou Hamer was will wonder no more after absorbing this striking portrait of the singer and activist" (April 15, 2015).
- Starred review in The Horn Book:"This majestic biography offers a detailed, intelligible overview of Hamer's life while never losing the thread of her motivations, fears, and heroic triumphs..." (September 9, 2015).
Connections
- Great book to read during Black History Month.
- Many students may know of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, but not many will know of Fannie Lou Hamer. This book can be used to show how she was involved in the Civil Rights Movement.
- A good book to read in a classroom setting while discussing the topic of the Civil Rights Movement.
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