Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Women of the Civil Rights Movement: Fannie Lou Hamer
The Civil Rights Movement goal was to outlaw laws being racially against a certain race. It was all about equality. However, during this time period, women, no matter the color of her skin, was considered lower than men. Even within the Civil Rights Movement, the women were pacified. We don't hear about many of the women who contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. One woman in this movement was Fannie Lou Hamer. She was an American voting and women's rights activist. She was the co-founder and vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. She was known for her use of spiritual hymnals and quotes and her resilience in leading the civil rights movement for black women in Mississippi. She was extorted, threatened, harassed, shot at, and assaulted by white supremacists and police while trying to register for and exercise her right to vote. She later helped and encouraged thousands of African-Americans in Mississippi to become registered voters, and helped hundreds of disenfranchised people in her area through her work in programs like the Freedom Farm Cooperative. In 1993, she was put into the Women's Hall of Fame.
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I had never heard of Hamer before this, it's incredible that so many people have been glossed over in many of my previous history classes. It's amazing that she was able to accomplish so much, despite the huge disadvantages she faced just by being born a certain way. I'm glad that people have been able to notice her and commend her on her achievements, even if we haven't been told much about her in class.
ReplyDeleteThere are many women activists who aren't very well-known today. Until this year in history class, I never learned about female activists, like Fannie Lou Hamer or even Dolores Huerta, who worked alongside the famous Cesar Chavez to form the National Farm Workers Association. Huerta eventually expanded her focus from farm workers to Latinos to women's rights. It's very interesting, and ironic, that people so influential in the civil rights movement aren't given credit for their work equally.
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