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Voting Rights

Fannie Lou Hamer

1917 – 1977

Sharecropper, sixth-grade education, twenty-year-old when she joined SNCC's voter registration drive in Mississippi. Co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in 1964. Beaten in the Winona jail and left with permanent injuries. Her testimony before the Credentials Committee at the 1964 DNC reshaped the Democratic Party.

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