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Fannie Lou Hamer
Challenging racist barriers to voting and political representation in Mississippi.
Convention testimony · Freedom Democratic Party
- Born
- 6 October 1917
- Birthplace
- Montgomery County, Mississippi, United States
- Died
- 14 March 1977
More people
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer was an American civil-rights organiser whose testimony brought national attention to violence and disenfranchisement.
Early life
Farm work
Grew up in a sharecropping family and worked in cotton fields.
Exclusion
Experienced poverty and racial discrimination long before becoming an organiser.
Career
- 1962
Voter registration
Tried to register and became active in organising.
- 1963–1964
National movement
Worked with SNCC and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
- Later 1960s–1970s
Community work
Connected political rights with food, housing and economic security.
Campaigns & contributions
Convention testimony
Described racist violence before the Democratic Party credentials committee.
Freedom Democratic Party
Challenged Mississippi’s segregated delegation.
Freedom Farm Cooperative
Helped families obtain food and greater economic independence.
Beyond work
Violence
Survived a severe beating while detained in 1963.
Reproductive injustice
Was sterilised without her consent during medical treatment.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Adam Cuerden. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
