She was a gifted speaker and a passionate advocate of education: who is Fannie Lou Hamer?

Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) was an American civil rights activist and leader. She was born into a family in Mississippi and worked in the fields from an early age. Hamer became involved in civil rights activism in the 1960s and became a key figure in the movement. She was the co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which challenged the all-white delegation from Mississippi at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Hamer's strong testimony before the Congressional Credentials Committee drew national attention to the voting rights of African Americans in the South. She continued to work for civil rights for the rest of her life, advocating for suffrage, desegregation, and economic justice. Hamer is remembered as a tireless and fearless advocate of social justice and equality.

Childhood and youth

Fannie Lou Hamer was born on October 6, 1917, in Montgomery County, Mississippi. She was the youngest of 20 children of sharecroppers Lou Ella and James Townsend. Hamer grew up in poverty and worked on a farm from an early age. She had to drop out of school in the sixth grade to help her family with the cotton harvest.

Fannie Lou Hamer (October 6, 1917 – March 14, 1977) was an American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement. She was the vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Hamer also organized Mississippi's Freedom Summer along with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She was also a co-founder of the National Women's Political Caucus, an organization created to recruit, train, and support women of all races who wish to seek election to government office.

Despite her lack of formal education, Hamer was a gifted speaker and singer, often singing and conducting choirs at church and community meetings. She married Perry "Pap" Hamer in 1944 and the couple had two children. The family continued to work as sharecroppers on a farm until the mid-1960s when Hamer became involved in the civil rights movement.

Education Life

Fannie Lou Hamer had to drop out of school in the sixth grade to work on a farm and support her family. However, she was a lifelong learner and she continued to educate herself throughout her life. Hamer attended citizenship schools, educational programs designed to teach African Americans their rights and how to exercise them. She also attended a program at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference where she learned about nonviolent protest and civil disobedience. Despite her limited formal training, Hamer was a gifted speaker and a passionate advocate of education as an empowerment tool. Education, she believed, was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and oppression that had trapped her and many in the Southern countryside.

Civil Rights Activism

Fannie Lou Hamer became involved in civil rights activism in the early 1960s. In 1962 she attended a meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and was involved in voter registration work in Mississippi. She was the co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), which was formed in 1964 to challenge the all-white delegation from Mississippi at the Democratic National Convention.

Hamer's strong testimony before the Congressional Credentials Committee drew national attention to the voting rights of African Americans in the South. She described her brutal treatment by white police officers and emphasized the need for change. The words "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired" became a rallying cry for the civil rights movement.

In 1969, Fannie Lou Hamer founded Freedom Farm Cooperative, a community-based organization in Mississippi that helps poor people, especially African Americans, become self-sufficient through agriculture. The cooperative consisted of 640 acres of land purchased with donations and donations. Hamer believed that owning and working the land was the key to achieving economic independence and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Freedom Farm Cooperative provided land, equipment, and training to its members, many of whom were former sharecroppers and migrant workers. Members were encouraged to work together to grow crops, raise livestock, and build homes on the land. The cooperative also provided education and training in areas such as health and nutrition, community organizing, and cooperatives.

Hamer continued to work for civil rights and social justice throughout the 1970s. She helped found the National Women's Political Group in 1971 and worked to encourage women, especially women of color, to participate in politics. Hamer also advocated for the rights of Native Americans and the end of the Vietnam War.

Hamer's health began to deteriorate in the mid-1970s, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent several surgeries and treatments, but her health continued to deteriorate. She died at a hospital in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, on March 14, 1977, at the age of 59. Her legacy as a tireless and fearless advocate of social justice and equality continues to inspire and influence people today.

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Remembering Civil Rights Heroine Fannie Lou Hamer: ‘I’m Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired’

https://www.thedailybeast.com/remembering-civil-rights-heroine-fannie-lou-hamer-im-sick-and-tired-of-being-sick-and-tired