Lit Fridays with Jacqueline Hamer Flakes

Lit Fridays is a literary-focused, virtual salon presented by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, featuring conversations and guest performances on the last Friday* of each month at 6:00p EST via Facebook Live and Zoom Webinar. All conversations are moderated by AWAACC Literary Curator, Jessica Lanay.

About Jacqueline Hamer Flakes

Jacqueline Hamer Flakes is a 56 year old single mother of two sons, Shadney, age 34, and Trenton, age 25. After realizing that racism was still very active in the MS Delta, Jacqueline, also known as Cookie, decided to move to Grand Rapids, MI. After living in there for 12 years, she felt that it was time to go back to the Delta in small steps. Cookie had so much on her heart that needed to be resolved, that her mother, Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer left unfinished. While starting her career as an Iconic Human Rights Activist, Equal Rights Activist and Voting Rights Activist in 1964, Cookie was young and saw and remembered a lot of hatred that was done against her family and others in their city and other cities. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Cookie finished chemo, she had to do radiation treatment also. After her treatment was over, Cookie returned home to have her sister Lenora die in her arms from a massive heart attack. This was the slow move back home to MS that went a little too fast. Cookie is an active advocate for Breast Cancer Awareness, an honorary member of YAGA (Youths Against Gang Activities). She has opened a non profit organization to start the Mama Fannie’s Freedom Farm Co-Op and pig farm that Mama Fannie Lou Hamer did not have a chance to complete due to dying from breast cancer. There are numerous events that Jacqueline Hamer Flakes has supported by attending, speaking and/ or singing at. She is on fire to keep the Legacy of her mom alive.