Guest editor Aunjanue Ellis offers a glimpse of her in-progress screenplay on Mississippi civil rights legend Fannie Lou Hamer. This excerpt is dedicated to Bob Moses, who died July 25, 2021, after a long career as a human rights activist.
Cast of Relevant Characters for Excerpt
FANNIE: Fannie Lou Hamer
PAP: Fannie’s husband
VERGIE AND JEANNIE: Fannie and Pap’s young daughters
BOB MOSES, DOROTHY COTTON, ANDREW YOUNG, CHARLES MACLAURIN: Fannie’s fellow civil rights activists
ARMY AND JACK: Fannie’s close women friends, who live together as a couple
EXT. SUNFLOWER COUNTY ROAD
Fannie walks with flyers in her hand that say “REGISTER!” And “VOTE.” Vergie and Jeannie chase each other as they walk with her. Fannie stops in front of a home.
VO.
Yes, it’s her! This the 3rd time this week. I done told her no already.
INT. PRICE HOME
A woman is on the floor peeking out of a window. She rises a bit and sees Fannie walking toward the house.
A man who is walking through the house stops in his tracks and hides behind a door.
MAN
Damn she worrisome. Just hush. Don’t even breathe. Don’t. You. Even. Breathe.
Meet Celestine and Fred Price.
EXT. HOME
Fannie walks down the cracked sidewalk to the house. She knocks on the door. No answer. She pushes a flyer under the door.
And then the flyer is pushed back under the door.
FANNIE
I ain’t taking it. I'm leaving it right there!
Peaches walks up to Fannie laughing with her baby and 3yr old son.
PEACHES
They hiding from you hunh Ms. Fannie?
FANNIE
They ain’t hiding from nobody. I see em. God sees em too.
PEACHES
They home.
FANNIE
Yeah, I know they home.
Fannie looks down at Peaches’s shoeless boys.
FANNIE (CONT'D)
Grrll... They getting big. Where is y’all’s shoes They feet gone get cut out here.
PEACHES
Shoes or food, Miss Fannie. That was the choice. I’ll take your flyer though.
Fannie hands her the flyer, concern and upset in her face for her young friend.
INT. BUS
Fannie sits on a loaded bus. Bob Moses is addressing the riders.
FANNIE
Naah sir. Thank YOU! Let’s say a quick word of prayer before we go y’all. B’lieve we should. Y’all bow your heads.
The riders bow.
FANNIE (CONT'D)
Heavenly father, you know, you know, the dangers we face out here on these highways and byways. We asking you to watch over us lord and get us home safe. Send us traveling mercies lord. Everything we do we do in your name and give you all the glory. These blessings and all others we ask in your name. Amen. I believe we ready now Bob.
BOB
Now you will be meeting Miss Septima Clark at Bennett and she will be conducting the session. She will be preparing you to prepare for these awful literacy tests. And then teaching you to teach other folks who want to register. This is crucial work and we appreciate your volunteering. So thank you.
Bob comes over to Fannie with ANNELL PONDER.
BOB (CONT'D)
Mrs. Hamer, this Annell Ponder. I thought I would match you up with her today. She’s been before —
FANNIE
Oh yeah! I know Annell. Good seeing you girl! Sit with me.
Annell does. Outside, Fannie sees Pap and the girls. They wave goodbye to her.
The bus drives off.
INT. BUS
Fannie nods off as the bus comes to a stop.
ANNELL
Fannie, we stopping. You want anything?
FANNIE
No, I’mma sleep. I ain’t hungry. Well you know what... bring me some nabs or something. You need some money?
ANNELL
Don’t worry bout it. I got it.
The women pile out of the bus and go inside the station. Fannie goes back to sleep. And then hears SCREAMS.
Policemen board the bus.
POLICEMAN
That’s her! That’s her!
They grab Fannie and pull her out of the bus. Fannie sees Annell shoved into a police car.
EXT./INT. WINONA JAIL
We close on the cracked cement of a sidewalk.
Stockinged legs are dragged on the rough ground. The dragging makes zippers in the stockings. The zippers become holes. The holes reveal wounds.
EXT. HAMER HOME
Vergie and Jeannie are outside skipping mud puddles and making mud pies with their dolls. Vergie skips the puddles wearing a child’s cowboy hat.
Their faces are muddy. The faces of their white dolls muddy as they feed them the mud pies.
Vergie and Jeannie hear something. They look at each other.
EXT./INT. WINONA JAIL
We see the wide jaws of the open doors below a “WINONA COUNTY JAIL” sign.
We hear resistant bodies dragged into it.
We hear the jail doors closing, swallowing Fannie and Annell Ponder.
A SCREEEAAAAAM! Comes from inside.
EXT. HAMER HOME
Vergie and Jeannie hear that sound again. There is a knowingness that washes over them. They look at the muddy faces of their white dolls.
EXT./INT. WINONA JAIL
Behind the doors we hear the screams, the hollers, the yells, the accusations, the supplications, of Fannie and Annell Ponder.
EXT. HAMER HOME
Vergie and Jeannie are at trees behind their home. Children from their play church congregation have joined them. They all have white dolls with them.
EXT./INT. WINONA JAIL
Behind the doors we hear the screams of Fannie and Annell Ponder.
EXT. HAMER HOME
The children begin to hit the dolls against the tree. Amputating them. Stomping on them. They take off the dolls’ dresses. Take off their underwear.
INT./EXT. WINONA JAIL
We hear the screams of Fannie and Annell Ponder.
EXT. HAMER HOME
The children find switches. They take the sticks to the legs of the dolls. We hear the sticks cut swishhhh through the soft air.
Vergie, still wearing her cowboy hat, now has a play gun and starts to shoot at the dolls.
EXT./INT. WINONA JAIL
We hear the hollers... yells...accusations...the God helps, the lord help’s, the please lord please’s, and then we see —
A DISEMBODIED FIST OF A MAN COMES AT US LIKE 3-D.
In response, in one swift move, Jeannie takes her doll by the head.
She decapitates it.
EXT. THE BIG BLACK RIVER
The river is grey, flat, moving. We are lulled by it until we see the pink blond bodiless head of a doll carried away by its currents.
And now we hear the voice of a WHITE WOMAN saying Blessed are the meek for they shall see god.
We are inside the jail.
In the dark we see the form of a woman who we know is Fannie from the print of her dress. We don’t see her face. Through the bars, a cup of water is presented to her.
WHITE WOMAN
You thirsty? Hunh? You thirsty? Have some cool water.
Fannie wills her body to the bars and takes the cup. She drinks.
FANNIE
Thank you. You one of their wives?
JAILER’S WIFE
Yes, I am. I come by and check on the prisoners from time to time. I just wanted to come and offer you prayer.
FANNIE
Since you offering me a prayer, you are a Christian. Right?
JAILER’S WIFE
Yes ma’am I am. Washed and cleansed and saved by his blood. Yes ma’am.
FANNIE
You see my face? Do you think this is what god wants? To see his children beaten like this?
The woman looks at Fannie. Answerless.
FANNIE (CONT'D)
Thank you for the cool water. But I need to be praying for you.
INT. WINONA JAIL LOBBY
Andrew Young and Dorothy Cotton enter. A policeman, THOMAS HERROD, is at the desk. He brightens up when he sees them.
THOMAS HERROD
How are y’all? We’re going to get her now. Bryant, go get Mrs. Hamer please. Where all y’all coming in from?
ANDREW YOUNG/DOROTHY COTTON
Georgia.
Dorothy is engaged. Andrew more reserved.
THOMAS HERROD
Now that’s a drive.
He presents some forms to Andrew.
THOMAS HERROD (CONT'D)
Just sign this riiiiight here. And I’ll believe that’ll do it. Yeah that’s a drive. What’s that 8 hrs and in all this rain? I told my wife I believe we gone need an ark.
DOROTHY COTTON
Not too bad. We listen to the radio.
Fannie comes out escorted by the other cop. We don’t see her face.
THOMAS HERROD
There she is! Mrs. Hamer I think we just about got you fixed up.
DOROTHY COTTON
Thank you. You have all your belongings, Mrs. Hamer?
FANNIE
Yes I do.
She points to Thomas Herrod.
FANNIE (CONT'D)
That’s the one that beat me. Y’all come on, I'm ready to get outta here.
Dorothy looks back at the cop who is stone-faced now. She is furious. Andrew registers no surprise.
EXT. WINONA JAIL PARKING LOT
Dorothy and Andrew hold Fannie’s elbows helping her walk. She can barely move. We still don’t see her face. Bob and Charles are there waiting. When they see Fannie, Charles runs to her.
We still don’t see Fannie’s face.
FANNIE
Oh am I happy to see y’all.
BOB MOSES
We’re happy to see you alive.
ANDREW YOUNG
We gotta get you to a doctor Mrs. Hamer and then we gotta document your injuries. It’s evidence. And then Bob and Charles can take you home.
FANNIE
No!
Fannie stops cold on the rain slicked sidewalk.
FANNIE (CONT'D)
I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to go home. I don’t care where you take me. Just not there.
INT. JACK’S HOUSE
The phone rings. Jack answers it.
JACK
Oh hey Pap. (beat) No she’s not here. If I see her, I’ll tell her to call you.
She has lied.
Jack hangs up and looks at Fannie while she plays with her and Army’s kids. We notice they are mixed race.
EXT. SUNFLOWER CTY HOME/ DAYS LATER
Bob and Charles are pulling out of a dirt driveway. They ride for a bit and then Charles notices something in the rear view.
Bob sees it now in the side mirror. It’s Pap. Chasing the car.
BOB MOSES
Slow down Charles.
Pap catches up to the car. Winded. He puts his head through the window and says:
PAP
Where is my wife?
Bob and Charles look at each other.
PAP (CONT'D)
I know y’all know where she is. Where is my wife?
INT. JACK’S HOUSE
Fannie’s injuries are being tended to by Army and Jack. There is a knock on the door. Jack opens and sees Pap, Charles and Bob.
Pap goes to his wife.
PAP
Why didn’t you come home, Fannie?
She is quiet.
FANNIE
I didn’t want you to see me like this.
PAP
I'm the one supposed to take care of you, Fannie. Me!!
He sits down next to her.
PAP (CONT’D)
What that song say? Don’t go to strangers. You come home to me.
Pap holds her face. Kisses all of it. A quiet beat.
BOB MOSES
If you want to quit, Mrs. Hamer, we understand.
Fannie turns to Bob and we can now see her face fully — a Picasso rendering. Its features, mouth, eyes, nose, teeth, nonsensical. Blood at the ready.
BOB MOSES (CONT'D)
You have done more than enough.
Fannie looks at Pap, then at Bob.
FANNIE
I ain’t finished.
Header illustration by Abigail Giuseppe
