Campaign Kicks-Off With Virtual Screening of FANNIE

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – chromatic black™, a 10,000+ collective of artists and activists dedicated to building cultural power and advancing justice for Black communities, alongside National Coalition on Black Civic Participation NAACP NextGen, Southern Black Girls and Women, and Black Girls Do Bike, announced the launch of I Am Fannie Lou Hamer, a national GOTV campaign dedicated to honoring the grit, resolve and courage of Mississippi-born civil rights activist and freedom worker, Fannie Lou Hamer, one week prior to Election Day on November 8.

Inspired by chromatic black’s 2022 Bronze Lens award-winning live action short film, “FANNIE”, directed by award winning filmmaker, Chirstine Swanson starring Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis, I Am Fannie is a celebration of Hamer’s life and legacy with a clear call to action – VOTE. The campaign includes get-out-the-vote events to register voters and mobilize a high voter turnout while promoting key issues like voting rights, civil rights, reproductive rights, and health and well-being in the Black community. It kicks-off with a FREE, virtual screening of “FANNIE” featuring an artist talk-back on Sunday, October 30, at 7:30PM ET.

“Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer serves as a Northstar for all of us who do freedom work,” said Abeni Bloodworth and Angela Harmon, co-founders of chromatic black™. “We’re thrilled to launch I Am Fannie Lou Hamer alongside our partners National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, NAACP NextGen, Southern Black Girls and Women, and Black Girls Do Bike to honor Fannie’s legacy by continuing to advance a participatory democracy. Let us channel Fannie’s resolve and grit in the midterm elections and cast our vote for smart and humane policy.”

The campaign includes a poignant tribute video featuring clips from the film and a message from Fannie’s daughter, Mississippi activist Jacqueline Hamer Flakes. In it she remarks, “Mama used to say, things are not gonna fall into your lap, you have to work for it. And that’s one thing she did; she worked really hard and no matter what she went through… The beating didn’t stop her. The doctor doing the hysterectomy unknowingly to her… didn’t stop her. Gas bombs being thrown at our house didn’t stop her. 16 bullets didn’t stop her.” In the spirit of this powerful reminder of what Fannie and the ancestors experienced, chromatic black and partners encourage all communities of color not to stop, and to head to the polls. chromatic black™ produced the “FANNIE” short through its Ida B. Wells Fund, a signature initiative supporting artist-activists disrupting the master narrative through ground breaking and authentic storytelling. The organization is currently accepting applicants for the 2022 Fund. Filmmakers can submit applications through Friday, October 28, visual artists can submit applications through November 3, and creative placemakers can submit applications through December 1. Applicants can submit at idabwellsfund.com.

For more information on I Am Fannie Lou Hamer programs, please contact chromaticblack@sunshinesachs.com.

For voter information, including how to find a polling place near you, visit chromaticblack.org/IAMFannieLouHamer.

chromatic black™ a Black female-led artist-activist collective and producer of the award-winning short FANNIE, starring Oscar-nominated actress Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard) in the titular role. chromatic black™ is powered by a collective of 10,000 artist-activists across a spectrum of creative disciplines. chromatic black works across film, television, live, and digital entertainment. By amplifying futuristic perspectives on intergenerational healing and well-being, chromatic black™ seeks to introduce counter-narratives to the conventional perspectives that normally dominate the public common.

About NAACP NEXTGEN Leadership

The NEXTGEN Leadership Program provides comprehensive leadership and advocacy training for young adults on a mission to become the next generation of civil rights leaders. Participants network with peers, establish strong leadership skills, and deepen their understanding of issues impacting the Black community. Successful graduates become boots on the ground in their communities and local NAACP branches, sustaining the fight for equality for all.

About Southern Black Girls and Women Consortium

The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium is a network of hundreds of women-led organizations and Black women leaders across 13 states who take the initiative to provide for Black girls’ needs through funding or other supports. Southern Black Girls is a collective of activists, powered by four dynamic Black women-led funders, working to advance and invest in the movement for Black girls and women across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (east), Virginia, and West Virginia.
About National Coalition on Center for Black Civic Participation

The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation is a 501 (c) 3 non-partisan civic engagement organization that strives to cultivate institutional base-building capacity and intergenerational leadership models at the local, state and national levels. NCBCP is committed to nurturing a climate where new thinking, innovative and traditional strategies of empowerment are respected and freely expressed; and strategic partnerships and alliances are welcomed. By educating, motivating, organizing and mobilizing our communities, the NCBCP seeks to encourage full participation in a barrier-free democratic process. Through technology, educational programs and civic leadership training, the Coalition works to expand, strengthen and empower Black communities to make voting and civic participation a cultural responsibility and tradition.