Post by Northeast Independent Living Program

“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” During a pivotal moment in Civil Rights history, Fannie Lou Hamer said these powerful words at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in front of a televised audience, and the nation paid attention. Fannie was born in 1917 in Mississippi, the youngest of 20 children. Her parents were sharecroppers and Fannie spent most of her childhood helping them in the cotton fields. As an adult, she continued to work as a sharecropper with her husband. In 1961, Fannie went to the hospital for minor surgery. Without her consent, the doctor performed forced sterilization on her. Fannie would later have children of her own through adoption. In 1962, Fannie attended a meeting held by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) that changed her life. Along with a group of SNCC volunteers, Fannie registered to vote. When she refused to withdraw her voting application, she was fired from her job as a sharecropper. At 45 years old, Fannie became a tireless community organizer and passionate advocate for Civil and Voting Rights. Deeply committed, Fannie put her own body in harm’s way for racial justice. During a protest in 1963, Fannie was arrested and beaten so badly by local law enforcement that she sustained lifelong injuries, including permanent kidney damage. Fannie is remembered as one of the most powerful voices of the Civil Rights Movement and a key contributor. She co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in 1964 to challenge the state's all-white delegation, and in 1971, helped establish the National Women's Political Caucus. She also helped set up organizations to create more economic opportunities for people of color. Today, Fannie’s incredible legacy is memorialized through the numerous parks, schools, community centers, and organizations named after her. On February 22nd at 9 p.m., PBS will air the documentary “Fannie Lou Hamer’s America." Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g4nKQxvZ #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryIsAmericanHistory #CivilRights