As quoted in This Little Light of Mine, ch. 8, by Hay Mills (1993). Said on September 13, 1965, in a hearing before the United States House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Elections.
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It is only when we speak what is right that we stand a chance at night of being blown to bits in our homes. Can we call this a free country, when I am afraid to go to sleep in my own home in Mississippi?... I might not live two hours after I get back home, but I want to be a part of setting the Negro free in Mississippi.

— Fannie Lou Hamer

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It is only when we speak what is right that we stand a chance at night of being blown to bits in our homes. Can we call this a free country, when I am afraid to go to sleep in my own home in Mississippi?... I might not live two hours after I get back home, but I want to be a part of setting the Negro free in Mississippi." in the context of "As quoted in This Little Light of Mine, ch. 8, by Hay Mills (1993). Said on September 13, 1965, in a hearing before the United States House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Elections." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Fannie Lou Hamer" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Fannie Lou Hamer

About Fannie Lou Hamer

Fannie Lou Hamer (October 6, 1917 – March 14, 1977), born Fannie Lou Townsend, was an American voting rights activist and civil rights leader. She was a field secretary with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.