Fannie Lou Hamer (/ ˈheɪmər /; née Townsend; October 6, 1917 – March 14, 1977) was an American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and leader of the civil rights movement. She was the vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

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.

Apr 2, 2014 · Fannie Lou Hamer was an African American civil rights activist who led voting drives and co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Nov 9, 2009 · Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on the plight of African Americans...

Born on October 6, 1917, the youngest of 20 children, legendary community organizer and civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer (née Townsend) grew up in the racial oppression and terror of post-Reconstruction Mississippi.

Feb 7, 2025 · Fannie Lou Hamer emerged as a fearless leader during the civil rights movement, particularly known for her tireless efforts in registering voters and advocating for African …

Jul 1, 2023 · Fannie Lou Hamer was a prominent civil rights activist and leader known for her unwavering commitment to racial equality and social justice. Her tireless efforts in the 1960s made significant contributions to the advancement of African …

Fannie Lou Hamer is a literate and highly capable employee, and advances to a management job on the plantation. 1961: Hamer is involuntarily sterilized while undergoing a medical procedure. She and her husband adopt and raise two children in the coming years.

One of our goals in 1963 was develop adult reading materials “out of the experiences, needs and aspirations” of Black adults in the Black Belt South, to help adults “turn inward and see his own strengths…

Fannie Lou Hamer was born on October 6, 1917 in Montgomery County, Mississippi. She was the granddaughter of a slave and the youngest of twenty children. Her parents were sharecroppers, which is a system of farming whereby workers are allowed to live on a plantation in return for working the land.