Fannie Lou Hamer was a Civil Rights activist who fought for issues involving voting and women's rights. She was a community organizer, and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Ms. Hamer’s attributes to the Civil Rights struggle include being vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party. 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. In early 1963, Fannie Lou Hamer became a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Field Secretary for voter registration and welfare programs. In 1964, Hamer helped co-found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). Due to her efforts to register voters, Fannie Lou Hamer was shot at by the KKK and she was jailed and beaten by white male police officers.
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Church Affiliation:Stranger's Home Baptist Church
Role in the Movement:Fannie Lou Hamer was a Civil Rights activist who fought for issues involving voting and women's rights.
Birth Place:Montgomery Co., MS
Born Date:October 6, 1917
Deceased Date:March 14, 1977
Place Lived as Adult:Ruleville, MS
Church Location:Sunflower Co., MS