Fannie Lou Hamer

Born in 1917, Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper's daughter in the Mississippi Delta, faced adversity early on, including forced sterilization in 1961. Activism ignited in 1962 when she encountered resistance to voter registration, leading to her eviction. Recognized by local organizers, she became a leader in the Mississippi Civil Rights movement and played a key role in the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). Despite health challenges, Hamer remained a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement until her death in 1977, addressing issues beyond voting rights, including economic security and desegregation.