Fannie+Lou+Hamer+G2

=Fannie Lou Hamer=

Overview
Fannie Lou Hamer is one of the greatest advocates for civil rights. Her parents were sharecroppers, which were as close to being slaves as possible in the United States. Hamer began to question why she had to live with such great hardships. Even though she was only schooled until the sixth grade, she kept reading the Bible, which led to her strong faith. Hamer's life changed when she attended a Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee meeting at her church. It convinced her to try and vote even though she knew it would lead to reprisal from whites. She was in her mid-forties when she started being an activist.

Central Issue
Hamer's main contribution to this country was her fervor for equal voting rights. After she registered to vote, she began to help others. Hamer became a field secretary for the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee. Even though she was threatened day and night by people who disagreed with her, she continued advocating for voter's rights. She helped found a new political party in Mississippi called the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party(MFDP). Hamer spoke out at the other party. "If the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America," she said. "Is this America? The land of the free and the home of the brave? Where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hook, because our lives be threatened daily." Hamer discussed the abuse she had suffered in retaliation for attending a civil rights meeting. "They beat me and they beat me with the long, flat black-jack. I screamed to God in pain...." The other party tried to compromise by giving MFDP two seats, but they would not take them.

Conclusion/Historical Significance
Hamer will always be remembered for her work to help other blacks represent themselves in the government. In 1965, the Voter's Rights amendment was made to the Constitution. Her work with the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee and MFDP is very commendable. Hamer's questioning helped her become a well-known reformer during the civil rights era. She ran for the Mississippi State Senate in 1971; she lost the race. Hamer died of cancer at the Mound Bayou Hospital in Mississippi, on March 14, 1977.