David Rabin and Historic WPFW-FM Spotlight Fannie Lou Hamer During Special Fundraising Broadcast
Celebrating the Legacy of Civil Rights Activism and Community Radio
WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 24, 2025 - Historic WPFW 89.3 FM, a beloved community radio station heard throughout the D.C. area, as well as Baltimore, Maryland featured a special fundraising broadcast on Tuesday, August 12 that featured the life of iconic activist and humanitarian Fannie Lou Hamer.
With veteran radio host and producer David Rabin leading the tribute, his guests included Dr. Davis W. Houck, Fannie Lou Hamer Professor of Rhetorical Studies at Florda State University and Monica Land, Hamer’s niece and producer of the award-winning film, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America.
Aside from raising funds for the Pacifica Radio Network-owned station amid drastic federal cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rabin said his goal with this broadcast was to support the station’s ongoing efforts to serve as a beacon for progressive news, arts, and activism in the Washington metropolitan region and to bring his listeners an inspiring program celebrating the life, legacy, and enduring impact of civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer.
“Fannie Lou Hamer was a fearless voice for equality, voting access, economically disadvantaged communities and women,” Rabin said. “She was an inspiration for anyone struggling for justice. And we want to help spread her message and energy far and wide.”
Blending his signature passion for storytelling with a commitment to amplifying voices that matter, Rabin’s deep connection to WPFW and its mission made him the ideal host for this fundraiser. Rabin was joined on his radio program, “Community Watch and Comment” by his co-host Janna Parker.
Launched in 1977, WPFW-FM has been a dedicated platform for programming that reflects progressive social change and democracy.
“It was such an honor to talk with David and Janna,” Land said. “We share a similar mission, to amplify Aunt Fannie Lou’s voice and to educate a new generation as to her many sacrifices and accomplishments on behalf of others.”
Fannie Lou Hamer’s America premiered on PBS and WORLD Channel in February 2022 and is a powerful tribute to one of the most influential activists of the 20th century. The documentary - told in Hamer’s own voice - features archival audio, interviews, music, and commentary highlighting Hamer’s courageous fight for voting rights, social justice, and economic empowerment for Black Americans. Viewers also hear stories and reflections from those influenced by Hamer’s unwavering spirit.
Land said the film’s educational website, fannielouhamersamerica.com was designed to become a continual clearinghouse of all things Fannie Lou Hamer. It is the only dedicated website of research materials about Fannie Lou Hamer for students, researchers and archivists.
Born in 1917 in rural Mississippi, Fannie Lou Hamer became one of the most prominent voices of the civil rights era. Her passionate advocacy for voting rights, her leadership in the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), and her famous declaration “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired” continue to resonate today.
Houck was one of the lead researchers on the film, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America, which received the “Best Documentary” award by the International Documentary Association (IDA) in 2022 and the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) in 2023.
"Pacifica's willingness to highlight the life of Fannie Lou Hamer speaks to her relevance in our political moment,” Houck said. “People are asking, 'what would Mrs. Hamer do in 2025,' and I think that question speaks directly to her legacy of fearlessly facing down those with unlimited political power."
Houck, a renown historian, is currently working on a film about fellow activist, Charles McLaurin, who organized alongside Fannie Lou Hamer in Sunflower County, Mississippi.
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About WPFW-FM Pacifica: Our purpose is to provide outlets for the creative skills and energies of the community, to contribute to a lasting understanding between individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors, and to promote the full distribution of public information. Programming on WPFW will principally be a mix of jazz, Third World music, news and public affairs.
The airwaves at 89.3 will be an accessible media outlet for Blacks, Hispanics, cultural groups, women, seniors, youth and other ethnic and non-traditional groups. WPFW programming will make the concept of community radio real by providing the local majority population with important and relevant education, information and entertainment. Through its programming the station will act as a networking agent for the community at large.