Fannie Lou Hamer’s fight for freedom celebrated during Women History Month; Farm Funds program helping metro Atlanta farmers obtain farmland

In honor of Women’s History Month, we spotlight the work of voting and women’s rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. We first hear from Dr. Pearl Dowe, an African American studies and political science professor, who serves as the vice provost for faculty affairs at Emory University, and Dr. Danielle Phillips-Cunningham, who teaches women’s and African American labor histories at Rutgers University. The professors reflect on the life and legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer and talk about her fight for civil, human and women’s rights.

Rose then talks with award-winning actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who is best known for her performance in films like “Origin”, “The Help” and “Ray.” Ellis-Taylor, who portrayed Hamer in the short film “Fannie,” explains why she views Fannie as a prophet and a freedom rights warrior.

The national nonprofit The Conservation Fundlaunched the Farms Fund program in 2021. Krisztian Varsa, the Georgia Farms Fund program manager, and Raphaela Ysrael, a farmer with Atlanta Harvest, talk with Rose about the program that aims to address food insecurity. They also discuss how the program works to protect threatened farms near cities by offering a new generation of diverse farmers and an affordable path to buy farmland.