Teach & remember
June Jordan's 1972 book about Fannie Lou Hamer
About the 1972 children's biography Fannie Lou Hamer by poet June Jordan, one of the first books about Hamer, written in her lifetime, and how to use it today.
In short
Fannie Lou Hamer, a short biography for young readers by the poet and essayist June Jordan (1936-2002), was published in 1972 by Thomas Y. Crowell in its series of biographies for children. Written while Hamer was alive and active in Mississippi, it is one of the earliest books about her. Libraries still hold it, and it pairs well with newer children's books such as Carole Boston Weatherford's Voice of Freedom (2015).
- Title
- Fannie Lou Hamer
- Author
- June Jordan (1936-2002), poet and essayist
- Published
- 1972, Thomas Y. Crowell
- Audience
- Young readers
- Pairs with
- Voice of Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford (2015)
Who was June Jordan?
June Jordan was a poet, essayist and teacher, born in Harlem in 1936, who wrote more than two dozen books and taught for many years at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work often dealt with civil rights, Black English and political freedom. The Poetry Foundation has a full biography. She died in 2002.
What is the book about?
It tells Hamer's life for young readers, from her childhood in the cotton fields to her work in the movement. Because it was written in the early 1970s, it ends with Hamer still working in Sunflower County, before the Freedom Farm closed and before her final illness. That makes it a useful primary source for how people saw her during her lifetime.
How can teachers use it?
Ask students to compare Jordan's 1972 account with a recent book, such as Carole Boston Weatherford's Voice of Freedom (2015), and note what each emphasizes. Students can also check its dates against our at-a-glance page. Our reading list suggests other books for different ages, and the lesson plan adds the 1964 testimony.
Questions readers ask
Is June Jordan's book still in print?
It is out of print. Many public and school libraries hold copies, and interlibrary loan can usually find one.
Why is this page called jordan.html?
The address was used by an earlier site on this domain for a page about a person whose identity we could not confirm, so we do not profile anyone here. We used the address for the 1972 book by June Jordan, a documented early work about Hamer.
Sources
- June JordanPoetry Foundation
- Fannie Lou HamerWikipedia (bibliography)
We checked every date and name on this page against the sources above. If you find an error, write to contact@fannielouhamer.info.
Continue in the archive
- Teach & rememberBooks and filmsA reading and viewing list on Fannie Lou Hamer: biographies, her collected speeches, children's books, the 2022 documentary, plays and music made in her honor.
- Teach & rememberFree lesson planA free lesson plan for grades 6 to 12 built on Fannie Lou Hamer's 1964 testimony and other primary sources, with objectives, steps, questions and a rubric.
- Teach & rememberHamer and educationHow Fannie Lou Hamer's own short schooling shaped her work for citizenship classes, Freedom Schools, Head Start centers and school desegregation in Sunflower County.
- Teach & rememberTrusted sourcesA curated list of reputable archives, encyclopedias, museums, recordings and books for researching Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi freedom movement.