Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer: Great Courage

On August 6, 1964, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was formed as an alternative to the segregated Mississippi Democratic Party.

Organized in conjunction with the Freedom Summer voter registration drives of SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and COFO (the Council of Federated Organizations), the MFDP following democratic party rules, elected 68 delegates, including 4 white delegates and went by bus to the 1964 Democratic Party Convention held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They contended that a Mississippi delegation, elected in a segregated process, violating party and federal law could not be lawfully seated and sought to be seated as the true delegation from their state.

This placed President Lyndon Johnson, seeking election to the Oval Office in his own right (having succeeded President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in the previous year), in an awful position: allow the MFDP to be seated along with the Mississippi Democratic Party and alienate the white south, or reject the MFDP and lose the black vote.

The MFDP's claims were referred to Credentials Committee of the Democratic Party.

What follows is the gripping testimony of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer. Hers is a story which tells of how valiantly people struggled less than half a century ago to gain the right to vote and respect as citizens by their fellow citizens.

I dare you to listen and come away thinking that voting is not important.

Comments (2)

Angelo Lopez

Great post, Britt. Voting is important, and I think we take it for granted and don't realize the struggles of Fannie Lou Hamer and all those civil rights workers to give everyone the right to vote.

Fannie Lou Hamer also shows the importance of being involved, of organizing people, of agitating for change. Voting is important and vital, but it's not the only thing that makes a democracy. It's important to make your voice heard, whether it be writing letters to the editor or your Congressman, joining vigils or protests, being in organizations.

Fannie Lou made sure her voice was heard and she worked to make sure other voices were heard. Our country is the better for hearing those voices.

Posted by Angelo Lopez | December 22, 2009 11:09 AM

Posted on December 22, 2009 11:09

Gerald Britt

Angelo,

You bring up such a great point. What I call 'advanced citizenship' does go beyond the ballot box. It's ironic that it was when Ms. Hamer COULDN'T vote that she engaged and challenged her country to do what was is right and just! She and all those who fought so valiantly with her are owed an eternal debt of gratitude for their example...

Posted by Gerald Britt | December 23, 2009 12:10 AM

Posted on December 23, 2009 00:10

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