Fannie Lou's Role In The Civil Rights Movement

9-Fannie Lou Hamer-Fannie Lou was born on October 6,1917 in Mountgomery,Mississippi. She played a big part in the civil rights movememnt. She was a activist,helped african americans get the rights to vote and co founded the Mississippi Fredom Democratic party. She was a hard working child. Being the youngest of 20 kids,at age 6 she began working in the fields. At the age of 12,she dropped out of school to work full time to support her family. She married Perry “Pap” Hamer in 1944. In the summer of 1962,she attened a protest,where she decided she wanted to help out in helping african americans register to vote. In August,she traveled with 17 others to Indianola to register to vote themself,and of course they were met with opposition with the
law. But the unfortanate happend,Hamer was fierd from her job and driven from the plantatio,just because she registerd to vote. But she didnt stop there,her losing her job only futher deterined her to help african american`s get the right to vote. She told the New york times “They kicked me off the plantation,they set me free. It`s the best thing that could happen. Now I can work for my people.” She dedicated her life to civil rights,working in groups like the “Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee”,an orgizination that protested and had civil disobedience protest to fight racial segregation and injustice in the south. Of course,these protest were met with and opposers.
She was threatened,arrested,beaten and even shot at. At one point,she was beated so badly she sufferd permanet kidney damage,but no matter what got in her ways,she continued to fight for equal rights. In 1964,she helped found the Mississippi Democratic Party that was met with opposition to her all white delegation to the democratic convintion. She brought the civil rights struggle to Mississippi by bringing the attention of the nation during a T.V. brodcast at the convintion. After that,she ran for Congress in Mississippi but was unsucessful. In 1976,she was diagnosed with breast cancer,she continued to fight despite this. On March 14,1977,she passed away in a hospital in Mound Bayou,Mississippi. Hundreds attened her funeral in a Ruleville church. Hamer is remberd as a key member in the civil rights movement. Along with her activism,she worked with poor families in need,she set up orgizinations to increase buisness opportiniyes for minorites,provided childcare and other family services and she help find the National Women`s Political Caucus in 1971. One of her most famous quotes is “I`m sick and tierd of being tierd” I think it`s safe to say this woman needs more
recognition.