Fannie Lou Hammer was a powerful voice in the civil rights and voting rights movements. She was a co-founder and vice-chairmen of the Freedom Democratic Party, she represented the party at the 1964 democratic convention. Hammer’s activism began in the 1950’s after attending annual conferences for the Regional Conference of Negro Leadership. In an example of the extreme racism and inhumane actions being taken against African Americans, Fannie Lou was given a hysterectomy in 1961 by a white doctor without her permissions. The state of Mississippi was trying to sterilize lower income blacks without their permission.
Fannie Lou Hammer