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9 June 1963: Fannie Lou Hamer arrested
Published 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Description
On this day, 9 June 1963, Black civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer was arrested on trumped up charges and brutally beaten in jail.
Hamer had become a voting rights activist, and was on her way home to Mississippi from a voter registration workshop in South Carolina when she was arrested with other activists.
In detention, a Mississippi police officer ordered two other prisoners to beat Hamer with a blackjack. Hamer and her activist friends were beaten brutally, and although charges were dropped and she was released three days later it took her over a month to recover and she was left blind in one eye and with kidney damage which contributed to her premature death at the age of 59.
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee sued the local police department for the attack, but the perpetrators were acquitted by an all-white jury.
Previously in 1961, Hamer had been sterilised without her consent or knowledge by a white doctor, who was acting according to Mississippi authorities' plan to reduce the poor Black population of the state.
Despite the violence she was subjected to, Hamer continued her civil rights activism until her death.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10916/fannie-lou-hamer-arrested
Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
Hamer had become a voting rights activist, and was on her way home to Mississippi from a voter registration workshop in South Carolina when she was arrested with other activists.
In detention, a Mississippi police officer ordered two other prisoners to beat Hamer with a blackjack. Hamer and her activist friends were beaten brutally, and although charges were dropped and she was released three days later it took her over a month to recover and she was left blind in one eye and with kidney damage which contributed to her premature death at the age of 59.
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee sued the local police department for the attack, but the perpetrators were acquitted by an all-white jury.
Previously in 1961, Hamer had been sterilised without her consent or knowledge by a white doctor, who was acting according to Mississippi authorities' plan to reduce the poor Black population of the state.
Despite the violence she was subjected to, Hamer continued her civil rights activism until her death.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10916/fannie-lou-hamer-arrested
Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
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