Fannie Lou Hamer was a galvanizing force of the Civil Rights movement, using her voice to advance voting rights and representation for Black Americans throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Faced with eviction, arrests, and abuse at the hands of white doctors, policemen, and others, Hamer stayed true to her faith and her conviction in non-violent progress. She helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, ran for Congress, and was one of the first three Black women in American history to be seated on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. Hamer dedicated herself fully as a grassroots organizer of the Civil Rights movement, inspiring countless activists and pushing progress forward. This is her story.
22 August 1964: Testifying
Fannie Lou’s voice grew louder. She helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) to contest the authority of the all-white regular Democratic Party in the state. On 22 August 1964, she testified before the Credentials Committee at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) convention in Atlantic City and challenged the seating of the regular party delegation. In her televised speech she described the violence, racism, and discrimination she and Black Mississippians endured and how the regular party denied them the right to vote. Her powerful words touched Americans everywhere. Image: Hamer testifying at the DNC. Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images.
Images are from Walk with Me, except where otherwise noted and linked.
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