R.J. Fitzpatrick graduated from Delta State University in 2017 with a degree in digital media. While looking for a job, he was doing volunteer work for a woman who introduced him to Correa and Davenport. The team was so excited to meet a young filmmaker from Ruleville, Hamer’s hometown, they took a break from filming to go out and meet him. Working on “Fannie Lou Hamer’s America” and as an instructor at the Sunflower academy has allowed Fitzpatrick to stay in the Delta and give other young people inspiration for their futures.
“I love Mississippi. I love the Mississippi Delta in particular because it’s where I’m from, because of the history,” Fitzpatrick says, but he always thought he would need to leave Mississippi to pursue his career as a filmmaker. “I never thought … that I would be able to grow and develop here. I beat the odds, I guess. When I tell someone I’m going to live off my art, you get a lot of people saying that’s not going to work.” He loves showing that it is not only possible for himself, but also for the program participants.