Fannie Lou Hamer

Hello, my name is Fannie Lou Hamer. I was born on October 6th, 1917, in Mississippi. Can you believe I was the youngest of 20 children? My family were sharecroppers, which meant we worked on a big farm that someone else owned, and our job was to pick cotton. I started helping in the fields when I was only six years old. I loved to read and go to school, but I had to stop when I was 12 so I could work full-time to help my family earn enough money for food and a place to live.

When I grew up, things weren't fair for Black people living in the South. We were told we weren't allowed to vote to choose our leaders. In 1962, I went to a meeting where I learned that voting was my right as an American. I decided right then that I was going to register to vote, no matter what anybody said. It was a very scary decision to make. Because I tried to vote, the man who owned the farm I lived on was very angry. He told me I had to leave. In just one day, I lost my home and my job, just for wanting to have a voice in my country.

Losing my home didn't stop me. It made me want to fight even harder for what was right! I joined other brave people in what was called the Civil Rights Movement. In 1964, we started our own group called the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party because we wanted everyone to be treated fairly. I even traveled to a big meeting and gave a speech that was shown on television all across the country. I told everyone about the struggles Black people faced. I famously said that I was 'sick and tired of being sick and tired' of being treated unfairly. My words helped people everywhere understand that the laws needed to change.

My work, and the work of many others, helped pass a very important new rule called the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This law helped protect the right to vote for all people, no matter the color of their skin. I spent the rest of my life helping my community. I even started a farm to help families have good food to eat. I lived to be 59 years old. Today, people remember me for my courage and my powerful voice. I used that voice not only for speaking but also to sing beautiful songs of freedom. My story shows that it doesn't matter who you are—one person can make a big difference by standing up for what is right.