Fannie Lou Hamer

"You know, I work for the Lord, and the Lord pays very well."

"We are the people. We have the power."

"Violence is the language of the oppressor, and we have to speak the language of the oppressed, which is the language of nonviolence."

"Whether you have a religion or not, if you're not ready to die for freedom, you're not ready to live."

"I believe in the Bible, but I also believe that I have to do something myself."

"One thing you have to understand about all that is past is that you don't ever have to apologize for being the way you are."

"Life has never been easy. There never was a bright tomorrow for me."

"I'm going to be as honest with you as I would be with myself."

"We're going to tear this country up. That's the only way we can bring about a change."

"I was tired of the economic and racial situation that affected us in Mississippi."

"Don't tell me it can't be done. Somebody needs to stand up and say they've been dealing with this for years."

"We didn't come here to make no trouble. We're here to register voters."

"I would like to say that the future is bright, and I do say it."

"If you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary."

"We have to make the greatest effort to come together."

"I want to live and I want to give, and I have so much to give."

"Is this the best this nation can be? This is not the best; we can do better."

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, and we have to overcome that."

"I have found that whoever is trying to take away your freedom is not worthy of your friendship."

"At this point in time, if you support Mississippi, you support slavery."

"We want our freedom now."

"We want to be tried under the same laws that you try other citizens of America under."

"Am I in Mississippi or in America?"

"I am going to work, and work, and work until I'm able to bring about some change."

"We cannot prove what the white man says is true. We can only prove what we know to be true."

"I didn't get sick to come and sit down. I'm coming because I've been sick and tired for so long."

"For my people to get a fair shake, I would be willing to lay down my life."

"I've always wanted to be something. I've wanted to be a teacher, a doctor, anything but what I am."

"The system itself is going to have to be changed."

"You've got to do all you can to make a difference in this world."