Growing up in the american south, she knew firsthand the impact of racism and the. Fannie lou townsend hamer rose from humble beginnings in the mississippi delta to become one of the most important, passionate, and powerful voices of the civil and voting rights movements and a leader in the efforts for greater economic opportunities for african americans. Kay mills was a journalist and author of five nonfiction books who revived the nearlylost stories of women journalists and civil rights icons, wrote this biography. Fannie lou hamer was determined to change the world. The spirit of the civil rights movement by carole boston weatherford and ekua holmes when i was born, on october 6, 1917, the. To tell it like it is margaret walker alexander series in african american studies by maegan parker brooks and davis w. Her family were sharecroppers a position not that different from slavery. This book charts fannie lou hamers life from her family beginnings as a sharecropper to her run for the mississippi state senate.
This book commemorates and explores the life of one of mississippis great civil rights activists, fannie lou hamer. Hamer also organized mississippis freedom summer along. Hamer started picking cotton from the age of six to help her family. Fannie lou townsend was born 6th october 1917, to james and ella townsend. She was born in montgomery county, mississippi, in the united states. When harriet tubman led her people to freedom, rev. Weatherford provides further notes on hamers life, in addition to a timeline of the civil rights movement from her birth in 1917 to her death in 1977.
She went to work on the plantation where her husband drove a tractor, first as a field worker and. Fannie lou hamer was born in 1917, the 20th child of lou ella and james lee townsend, sharecroppers east of the mississippi delta. Chana kai lee in this intimate biography, chana kai lee documents hamers lifelong crusade to empower the poor through collective action, her rise to national prominence as a civil rights activist, and the. Sibert honor booka 2016 john steptoe new talent illustrator award winnerstirring poems and stunning collage illustrations combine to celebrate the life of fannie lou hamer, a champion of equal voting rights. The life of fannie lou hamer women in american history by chana kai lee.
Holmes quiltlike collage illustrations emphasize the importance hamer placed on community among africanamericans. On resisting the urge to call on our dead for the purpose of giving them the space t0 rest. A leader of the civil rights movement, fannie lou hamer was born fannie lou townsend on october 6, 1917, in montgomery county, mississippi, the youngest of 20 children. Five years later, i met fannie lou hamer when she came to speak in madison, wisconsin where i was a college student. Fannie lou hamer 19171977 was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on the plight of africanamericans throughout.
Hamer, an important figure in the 60s deepsouth struggles whose name may be unfamiliar to some. When meditating on lavender, we considered the perspective of my greatgrandmother on rest. Billie jean young, official website, actor, speaker, author. Sibert honor book a 2016 john steptoe new talent illustrator award winner stirring poems and stunning collage illustrations combine to celebrate the life of fannie lou hamer, a champion of equal voting rights.
Civil rights, sncc, mississippi freedom democratic party, oral history. This book is composed of free versed poems that details the hardships fannie faced as a child until she was an adult. The life of fannie lou hamer civil rights and struggle mills. With a foreword by marion wright edelman the awardwinning biography of black civil rights activist fannie lou hamer. Fannie lou hamer biography, life, interesting facts. Let us carry on the legacy of this civil rights hero by working towards a.
How fannie lou hamer changed my life the sword of the lord. As a civil rights activist in the 1960s, fannie lou hamer helped focus attention on the plight of african americans. Fannie lou hamer biography, life, interesting facts early years and education. It is a beautiful book, and in the capable hands of carole boston weatherford readers are transport back through the life and achievements of fannie lou hamer.
Young readers who open this book with just a vague notion of who fannie lou hamer was will wonder no more after absorbing this striking portrait of the singer and activist. Marian wright edelman this book is the essence of raw courage. Voice of freedom is infused with hamers own quotes and the colloquial style that defined her skill as a speaker. Fannie lou hamer was a poorly educated woman who, like most of her contemporaries growing up in predepression mississippi and beyond, endured virtual apartheid for a good portion of her life. Fannie lou hamer americas freedom fighting woman book. Known for her daring, her brinkmanship and her impassioned speechmaking, hamer rose to prominence in the mississippi freedom democratic party, an intrepid group which tried to unseat the predominantly white democrats of mississippi during the 1964 democratic national convention. The life of fannie lou hamer civil rights and struggle by kay mills aug 24, 2007.
October 6, 1917 march 14, 1977 was an american voting and womens rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement. Fannie lou hamer, african american civil rights activist, cofounder in 1964, and vicechairperson of the mississippi freedom democratic party mfdp, which was established as an alternative to the allwhite mississippi democratic party. Known for her daring, her brinkmanship and her impassioned speechmaking, hamer rose to prominence in the mississippi freedom democratic party, an intrepid group which tried to unseat the predominantly white democrats of. Dropping out of school to work in the fields fannie lou hamer dropped out of school and began working in the fields all at the age of six. Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life. Fannie lou hamer civil rights activist, philanthropist. Illustrated biography of fannie lou hamer, activist for voting and economic rights. She inspired me to begin a process of listening, reading, and learning about black people that would change my life. John lewis the awardwinning biography of black civil rights activist fannie lou hamer. In this speech, hamer represented both the concerns of the mississippi freedom democratic party mfdp and the limits of american democracy when she proclaimed. To tell it like it is ebook written by maegan parker brooks, davis w. She also has done a remarkable job of conveying these poems in the voice of ms hamer.
The life of fannie lou hamer is a biography of fannie lou hamer, who is a noted civil rights activist. Although this is a picture book, it is more appropriate for upper elementary grades, given topics such as hamers forced sterilization. Brooks writing is compelling, elucidating, and engaging. Had she lived past the age of 59 she would have done so much more. Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life, fannie lou hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977. Reading this book is itself a course in the heroic civil rights era. Fannie lou hamer american experience official site pbs. Todays book is about fannie lou hamer, 19171977, a hero of the united states civil rights movement. Testimony before the credentials committee, democratic national convention, atlantic city, new jersey fannie lou hamer defining documents in american history.
In 1964, fannie lou hamer delivered a heartwrenching testimony before the democratic national conventions dnc credentials committee. Hamer forced me to consider black people as human beings who could bleed, suffer, aspire, struggle, and rejoice. Firsthand accounts of fannie lou hamers emergence as a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Its a beautifully told tale of an important figure in civil rights, someone more people should know about. Fannie lou hamer 19171977 was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on. Hamer was born on october 6, 1917 in montgomery county, mississippi. Maegan parker brooks has written a passionate account of the life and times of fannie lou hamer in fannie lou hamer.
Fannie lou hamer is an informational, non fiction, and biography that follows the life of fannie lou hamer, a civil rights activist. I love the way the author has told fannie lou hamer s story through free verse poetry. She was the cofounder and vicechair of the freedom democratic party, which she represented at the 1964 democratic national convention. I would have never heard of her had i not had to purchase this book for my class. Among the most important figures of the civil rights movement, fannie lou hamer rose from difficult circumstances to dedicate her life to battling racism and poverty. Fannie lou hamer, born in mississippi, was working in the fields when she was six and was only educated through the sixth grade. This book explores the life of one of mississippis greatest civil rights activists, fannie lou hamer. Family secrets biography, told to young by jaye peay. The spirit of the civil rights movement written by carole boston weatherford illustrated by ekua holmes age range.
This is one of the best nonfiction picture books ive ever read. Carrying on the legacy of civil rights activist fannie lou. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Discussion of two books about fannie lou hamer americans who. Provides a history that helps us to understand the choices made by so many black men and women of hamers generation, who somehow found the courage to join a movement in which they risked everything. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you. Fannie lou hamer, known as the lady who was sick and tired of being sick and tired, was born october 6, 1917, in montgomery county, mississippi. She first joined her family in the cotton fields at the age of six. While the book spotlights some of the specific hardships fannie lou hamer faced, her individual truth evokes the experiences faced by many others and helps students better understand the. Fannie lou hamer was born in to a family of 19 children in montgomery county, mississippi.
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