Fannie Lou Hamer's call to political action in "We're On Our Way"

Voter repression, police brutality, and systematic race-based rights deprivation remain problems in spite of all the laws and legislation preventing discrimination. No matter what the Constitution says, and many decades after passing the fifteenth amendment, institutionalized racism remains real and was so even more poignantly during the days of Jim Crow. Fannie Lou Hamer spoke out against racism in America on the cusp of the Civil Rights movement, at a critical moment in American history. Delivered to a community meeting in 1964, Hamer\'s speech \"We\'re On Our Way\" motivates her audience to take action and demand all rights and freedoms rather than passively accept oppression.

One of the cornerstone themes of Hamer\'s address is the need to be unafraid of exercising fundamental rights and freedoms of speech and expression. Fear is one of the tactics used by the white oppressor to keep silent the African-American community. Hamer uses powerful imagery, diction, and anecdotes to remind her audience that all African-Americans -- indeed all oppressed people -- have succumbed to fear and intimidation. Fear and intimidation come in the form of police brutality and labor exploitation leading to widespread poverty, which diminishes the will to participate in the political process. Yet as Hamer points out, \"if I have to die for this -- we shall overcome,\" (42). It is critical to overcome fear and intimidation, even the immediacy of hunger and anger, in order to take back rights and freedoms. Without a fight, the oppressors will continue to get away with their tactics and goals of maintaining power.

In fact, Hamer points out that political activism will create a better nation and improve the quality of life for all people: \"We are fighting to save these people from their hate\" (42). A nation that professes to be about freedom, democracy, and the pursuit of happiness cannot be mired in hatred. Hamer also points out the ineffectiveness of religion in helping to improve conditions for African-Americans. The preachers, note Hamer, have been urging pacifism, telling their congregations to avoid taking part in political marches. Yet Hamer points out the fallacy of their approach. \"You can pray until you faint, but if you don\'t get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap,\" (39). Taking action is essential; God helps those who help themselves. Moreover, Hamer points out that preachers willingly accept money from politicians and likely urge pacifism only to appease those politicians to secure money for their churches: \"he\'s telling a big lie because every dollar bill got a politician on it and the preacher love it,\" (47). Hamer therefore rallies against corruption at all levels of society, showing that oppression is systematic and pervasive. Political protest is an act of freedom, an exercise of the right of freedom of expression, guaranteed in the constitution. There is no reason to remain silent, and silent only serves to perpetuate oppression.