Mississippi Freedom Fighters: A Black August Series
- Jasmine Williams
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
By Jasmine Williams | Editor, ‘Sipp Talk
“If I fall, I fall five feet four inches forward in the fight for freedom.”— Fannie Lou Hamer
August ain’t just another month, it’s a sacred season of remembrance, resistance, and radical Black memory. Born in the prisons, prayer circles, and hunger strikes of the 1970s, Black August began as a way to honor incarcerated freedom fighters like George Jackson, and it has since become a global call to reflect on Black liberation struggles everywhere.
At ‘Sipp Talk, we know that no story of Black resistance is complete without Mississippi. We’re the birthplace of the blues and the battleground of voting rights. Mississippi taught the world how to be free and move with autonomy. We’re the soil that raised sharecroppers who became strategists, students who became movement leaders, and mothers who became mayors. And during Black August, we’re telling those stories loud and clear.
Why This Series Matters
Mississippi Freedom Fighters: A Black August Series is our way of holding space for the legacy that too often gets left behind in textbooks and timelines. Each week this month, we’ll spotlight a Black Mississippian who risked their body, voice, art, or platform to push us closer to liberation.
You’ll meet:
Annie Devine, who organized in Canton and stood firm at the DNC
Unita Blackwell, the first Black woman to be elected in the state of Mississippi
Fannie Lou Hamer, who turned her pain into power
Medgar Evers, who gave his life to expose injustice
And many more whose resistance rooted itself in the Deep South
We’ll also uplift authors, organizers, and cultural workers whose legacy lives on, not just in archives, but in how we read, fight, rest, and reclaim today.
How to Follow the Series
Each week in August, follow along on:
Instagram + Threads: @sipptalk
The Blog: New features + reflections
Community Highlights: Resources to learn, share, and honor
We’re using the tags:
About the contributor:
Jasmine Williams is the founder and editor of 'Sipp Talk, a Mississippi-based media platform amplifying the creative genius, cultural legacy, and lived experiences of Black folks in the South. As a culture producer and strategist, Jasmine leads with a deep love for storytelling that’s rooted in place, memory, and resistance.
Through 'Sipp Talk, she curates narratives that challenge erasure, spark conversation, and celebrate Southern Black brilliance. Jasmine brings years of experience in media strategy, event production, and creative direction to the work, always centering community, care, and cultural integrity. She believes the South still got sum to say, and 'Sipp Talk is here to make sure it’s heard.