I recently published a mini book entitled “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” (Cambridge Elements) and it couldn’t have arrived at a more needed moment.
I was inspired to write this book after thinking about all of the contributions of Stacey Abrams during the 2020 and 2021 election cycles. When reflecting on her career in public service, I was interested to learn more about the roots that helped this brilliant Black woman grow into such a political force in 21st century politics.
I was also interested in learning more about the contributions of Black women from the U.S. south. This is in no way devaluing the contributions of people like Shirley Chisholm and Kamala Harris, both of whom have Caribbean lineage and hail from New York and California, respectively. Both Chisholm and Harris contributed immensely to the advancement of Black women in electoral politics on local, state, and federal levels. However, “How to Build a Democracy” focuses specifically on three Black American women who hailed from the southern states of Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia, respectively.
This book is at a price point aimed for students and a length that I hope will encourage people to actually read the entire book and not just skim a chapter or two. It’s a great introduction to these three amazing women, but it is by no means a definitive text on the lives and careers of these dedicated public servants.
My argument is essentially, if one combined the organizing skills of Fannie Lou Hamer and the political prowess of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, 50 years later, we would have the brilliant legislator and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Abrams combined astute organizing capabilities across the state of Georgia to organize myriad diverse racial, ethnic, class, and age groups in the state. Her ability to organize and work with elected officials within her own party, as well as the Republican party, illustrates her understanding of larger political goals to better serve the citizens of Georgia.
It is my hope that you will pick up “How to Build a Democracy” and learn about the bravery and intelligence of Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan, both 20th-century civil rights leaders who fought for the rights of all Americans, not solely Black Americans. It is also my hope that you will finish this short book by feeling inspired to do more for your community, run for political office, or support nonprofits doing organizing work or someone thinking of becoming a public servant and candidate.
You can find “How to Build a Democracy” on Amazon or at the Cambridge University Press website at bit.ly/4iorT1l.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the book “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.