Fannie lou hamer when fannie was 16 she found out she had polio it was very difficult to work on the fields. She married perry hamer in 1942 and got involved in the civil rights movemet after mrs. The fiery civil rights activist known for her iconic line, im sick and tired of being sick and tired, spoke before a televised audience at the 1964 democratic national convention dnc, held in atlantic city, new jersey. After the films viewing, parents have small group discussions of the common values shared by. Born on october 6, 1917 in montgomery county, mississippi, to a family of sharecroppers, she was the youngest of lou ella and jim townsends twenty children. She first joined her family in the cotton fields at the age of six. Hardship, harassment, shootings, beatings, namecalling, being jailed and other means of violence could not deter this courageous southern middleaged black woman from testing the limits of oppression and making her voice heard in.
The fannie lou hamer cancer foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the eradication of cancer, particularly. When young civil rights workers arrived in ruleville in the mississippi delta in 1962, they were looking for local black people who could help convince their neighbors to register to vote. Fannie lou hamer had joined the scnn an they began traveling across the south working on many registration campaigns. Tucker convinced her to attend a meeting at william chapel m. Bio, civil rights movement, education, facts, early life 1993 duration. Civil rights legend fannie lou hamer is remembered by those who worked side by side with her in the struggle for voting rights. Fannie lou hamer 19171977 was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on the plight of africanamericans throughout. F iftytwo years ago, on august 22, 1964, fannie lou hamer delivered arguably the most significant speech of her political career. Fannie lou hamer middle school timeline timetoast timelines.
Fannie lou hamer was born in 1917, the 20th child of lou ella and james lee townsend, sharecroppers east of the mississippi delta. Fannie lou hamer was born in 1917, the 20th child of lou ella and james lee. Hamer was born on october 6, 1917 in montgomery county, mississippi. She was born on october 6, 1919 in rural mississippi to a family of sharecrop. Early life civil rights activist fannie lou hamer was born on 6 october, 1917, in montgomery county, mississippi, and was the youngest of 20 children. Fannie lou hamer, 1970 by goucher college free listening. Many times when we think of civil rights leaders and activists in class or speak about them in public, we hear the name martin luther king jr many other dedicated activists become forgotten. The fannie lou hamer memorial garden was rededicated on saturday, july 12, 2008 by the city of ruleville, ms with new developments. She worked for political, social and economic equality for herself and all african americans.
Ap photostf fannie lou hamers life took a dramatic turn the day she showed up for a mass meeting to learn about voting. Fannie lou hamer, born in mississippi, was working in the fields when she was six and was only educated through the sixth grade. Civil rights leader fannie lou hamer bore witness to the violence of jim crow and demanded inclusion of black delegates in the democratic party. Afro american newspapersgadogetty images f iftytwo years ago, on august 22, 1964, fannie lou hamer delivered arguably the most significant speech of her political career. In atlantic city, hamer implored the nation to witness the violence she endured for exercising her right to voteand in the process, helped force one of the most dramatic shifts in the u. Fannie lou hamer 19171977 was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on. Fannie lou hamer walked with a limp and still had a blood clot behind her eye from being severely beaten by police in a mississippi jail. On june 3rd she was jailed and beaten by three white police officers and the beating lead to kidney damage for fannie lou hamer. She was instrumental in organizing mississippis freedom summer for the student nonviolent coordinating committee sncc, and later became the vicechair of the mississippi freedom democratic party, attending the 1964 democratic national convention.
Fannie lou hamer, spirit of the civil rights movement by candlewick press on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the. Fannie lou hamer traveled a long way out of the mississippi delta to the center of the stage at the democratic national convention of 1964. Fannie lou hamer facts, worksheets, biography, legacy. Fannie lou hamer founds freedom farm cooperative sncc. Unlike many federal and local poverty programs, the freedom farm was dedicated to grassroots participation. Fannie lou hamer was an american voting and womens rights activist, community organizer. October 6, 1917 march 14, 1977 was an american voting and womens rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement.
Oktober 1917 in ruleville, montgomery county, mississippi, als fannie lou townsend. Fannie lou townsend hamer rose from humble beginnings in the mississippi delta to become one of the most important, passionate, and powerful voices of the. Fannie lou hamer american experience official site pbs. Charles mclaurin,a close friend and hamers campaign manager, attended with his grandson. Us stamp gallery medgar evers and fannie lou hamer. Hamer also organized mississippis freedom summer along. We look back and the life and legacy of civil rights icon fannie lou hamer.
Using a plethora of sources both primary and secondary, lee attempts to rescue hamer from her role as civil rights icon and show the complexities of. In this 1999 work, chana kai lee presents the life of the iconic civil rights leader fannie lou hamer is new light. Fannie lou hamer and the civil rights movement 1175 words 5 pages. This bundle includes 11 readytouse fannie lou hamer worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about fannie lou hamer who was a civil rights activist who helped africanamericans register to vote and cofounded the mississippi freedom democratic party. This release concerns the fbis investigation into possible civil rights violations relating to that arrest. Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life, fannie lou hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977. She went to work on the plantation where her husband drove a tractor, first as a field worker and. Fannie lou hamer essay examples 2194 words bartleby. Summary biography of fannie lou hamer 19181977 from the oral history department, university of southern mississippi, 11 may 1999. In 1962, she met civil rights activists who encouraged blacks to register to vote, and soon became active in helping. Flh democratic coalitions mission is to empower and educate citizens in st. Hamer became involved in the civil rights movement when she volunteered to attempt to register to vote in 1962. Invision employees share their remote work secrets.
See the fact file below for more information on fannie lou hamer or alternatively, you can download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. Fannie lou hamer, a mississippi sharecropper, changed this nations perspective on democracy. Fannie lou hamer was born on a plantation in the mississippi hill country in 1918, the last child in a family of twenty children. A leader of the civil rights movement, fannie lou hamer was born fannie lou townsend on october 6, 1917, in montgomery county, mississippi, the youngest of 20 children. Hamer gave a speech at the democratic national convention that, despite president johnsons interference, aired on national tv. Hamer also worked for the student nonviolent coordinating committee, which fought racial segregation and injustice in the south. Fannie lou townsend hamer rose from humble beginnings in the mississippi delta to become one of the most important, passionate, and powerful voices of the civil and voting rights movements and a leader in the efforts for greater economic opportunities for african americans. The following year she married perry pap hamer, a tractor driver on the marlow plantation, and they. The papers of fannie lou hamer measure approximately 16 linear feet and consist of 3,293 pieces of correspondence dated between 1966 and 1978. Fannie lou hamer 19171977was a civil rights activist from mississippi. She fought to integrate the national democratic party, and became one of the first black delegates to a. Amistad research center, tulane university, new orleans, louisiana. She was the cofounder and vicechair of the freedom democratic party, which she represented at the 1964 democratic national convention. Fannie lou hamer, civil rights activist, savagely beaten.
One of which is fannie lou hamer, a grassroots organizer in mississippi. Fannie lou hamer was an africanamerican sharecropper in mississippi who became active in the civil rights movement, particularly the voter registration campaign. This speech changed the course of black voting rights in. The driver was arrested for driving a bus of the wrong color. The legacy of civil rights pioneer, fannie lou hamer.
In 1945, at the age of 27, fannie lou married perry pap hamer who was a tractor driver on. Fannie lou hamers singing that first brought her to the attention of. See more ideas about black history, african american history and civil rights. Fannie lou hamer civil rights activist, philanthropist. Although the naacp leadership sought to challenge segregation in. Fannie lou hamer papers, 19661978 amistad research center. Black history month provides us with an opportunity to pay tribute to fannie lou hamer, a voting and civil rights activist who was instrumental in organizing mississippis freedom summer for the student nonviolent coordinating committee sncc, and drawing national attention to the civil rights struggle in mississippi at the 1964 democratic national convention. On the drive back to ruleville, the bus was stopped and the driver arrested. Fannie lou hamer, african american civil rights activist, cofounder in 1964, and. Fannie lou hamer is the name that is not only worth of remembering, it is one of those names that became a lighthouse for millions of people all over the world. The correspondence represented includes not only that of fannie lou hamer, but also that of a number of organizations to which she was in some way connected and of her business manager, joseph harris. Fannie lou hamer was a grassroots civil rights activist whose life exemplified resistance in rural mississippi to oppressive conditions.
Fannie lou hamerborn fannie lou townsend on october 6, 1917 march 14, 1977 was an american voting rights activist and civil rights leader. Fannie lou hamer was born on october 6, 1917, in montgomery county, mississippi. She worked for the student nonviolent coordinating committee sncc that fought racial segregation and injustice in the south, as well as championing voter registration among african americans. By then 45 years old and a mother, hamer lost her job and continually risked her life because of her civil rights activism. In june 1963, she and several other voting rights activists were arrested at a mississippi bus station. An africanamerican sharecropper from the mississippi delta, hamer. Fannie lou hamer 19171977 was a voting rights activist and civil rights leader. Fannie lou hamer, african american civil rights activist, cofounder in 1964, and vicechairperson of the mississippi freedom democratic party mfdp, which was established as an alternative to the allwhite mississippi democratic party. Fannie lou hamer cancer foundation, ruleville, mississippi. Fannie lou townsend was born in rural montgomery county, mississippi on october 6,1917. Returning from a workshop in south carolina with other africanamericans on this day, she and the others were arrested in winona, mississippi, and then brutally beaten in the jail. Fannie lou hamer, a mississippi sharecropper, changed a nations perspective on democracy. Fannie lou hamer, a leader of the mississippi freedom democratic party, speaks before the credentials committee of the democratic national convention in atlantic city, august 22, 1964. Timeline of fannie lou hamers life and legacy by maegan parker.
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