Black Domers: The Future of Social Justice

Catalysts of Social Justice Through Narratives [23:30–32:35]: The episode’s focus on how Fannie Lou Hamer’s narrative catalyzed social justice movements is a poignant reminder that the stories we choose to share and elevate have the power to challenge injustices and shape the social fabric of our times.

Integrity in Representation [01:14:55]: The emphasis on accurate and heartfelt representation, particularly of marginalized groups whose stories are often overlooked, calls on us to maintain integrity and diligence in how we depict the experiences of others, ensuring their narratives are conveyed with truth and respect.

Preserving History Against Erasure [48:15, 58:20]: The discussion about archiving and historical preservation serves as a compelling directive to safeguard vulnerable narratives from being erased—especially in an era where cultural memory is imperiled by acts of censorship and historical revisionism.

Depth of Silent Reflection in Storytelling [33:05–35:50]: Adding to the potency of the conversation was the reflection on the role of silence in storytelling, as articulated by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in her portrayal of Fannie Lou Hamer. This contemplation encourages us to value introspection and the unvoiced internal struggles that define so much of the human experience.

Art as a Vehicle for Education [01:03:45–01:10]: The recognition of film as an educational medium rather than merely entertainment stresses the importance of integrating artistic expression within educational frameworks, suggesting that our engagement with art should also aim to enlighten and inform.

• Change Agents in Cultural History of Race and Civil Rights:  “Without Black women, we’re nowhere. We are nowhere, because you all are the ones who really light the fire.”
  — Scott Barton [00:22:33 → 00:22:40]

• Celebrating Unsung Civil Rights Leaders: “That happened because of those, you know, those people, those farmers and sharecroppers and maids from Mississippi. The world needs to know about what they did. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and Mrs. Hamer were at the helm of that.”
  — Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor [00:11:04 → 00:12:08]

• The Quotidian Hero: “It wasn’t anything that they needed the Presidential Medal of Freedom for. They did it because it was, that’s what they were supposed to do. In the middle of their going to church Four and five times a week, going to visit the sick and shut in feeding people.”
  — Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor [00:19:51 → 00:20:10]

• The Impact of Black Women on Social Justice: “It would not be possible without Black women. And particularly a lot of the Black women, who worked in the civil rights movement… it’s really the women behind the scenes, who kind of made everything happen, but in the era that we were living in, they could not be in the forefront in the way that the men were.”
  — Christine Swanson ‘94 [00:49:58 → 00:50:06]

• Fannie Lou Hamer’s Legacy: “Mrs. Hamer was a miracle before she…sat down in front of that credentials committee in 1964…if none of those things happened to her, she would be considered a hero and a pillar of her community in the same way that so many of our grandmothers and mothers during that time were.”
  — Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor [00:19:02 → 00:19:28]

• Creativity and Social Justice: “How do we as artists use our creativity to assist in a larger framework of social justice? I think it’s applying yourself within your community, within your knowledge sector, or taking time to learn and research what you think is valid.”
  — Scott Barton [00:51:36 → 00:51:45]

• Justice and Racial Dynamics: “I was beat by the first negro prisoner until he was exhausted. And then the state highway patrolman gave the blackjack to the second negro prisoner. The second negro prisoner took the blackjack and began to beat me.”

  — Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer in Fannie [00:28:22 → 00:28:35]

• The Power of Passion in Storytelling: “I think artists like Aunjanue Ellis make me better because there’s a real passion behind what she’s passionate about and why. And I feel like what we can do in the space that we work in, we can energize audiences to feel that passion that she brings.”
  — Christine Swanson ‘94 [01:14:55 → 01:15:40]

• The Struggle With Still Going Forward: “Claudette Colvin, at the end of an interview I shared with my students, said: “I have full respect for Mrs Taylor and Ms Rosa Parks, but I was a 15 year old pregnant, dark skinned black woman and the movement didn’t want to have me in front of the camera. She was a better choice”— that complicates the story.”
  — Scott Barton [00:41:57 → 00:42:20]

• America’s Crossroads: “I question America. The land of the free and the home of the brave. I really don’t know where we go from here.”
  — Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer in Fannie [00:30:41 → 00:30:57]