CONTENTS A LETTER FROM DUCHESS 4 CHAPTER ONE The Right to Vote 6 CHAPTER TWO Early Life and Activism 14 CHAPTER THREE This Bus Is Too Yellow 22 CHAPTER FOUR Hamer Speaks Up 28 CHAPTER FIVE Hamer’s Legacy 36 Fast Facts 42 Stop and Think 44 Glossary 45 Online Resources 46 Learn More 46 About the Authors 47 Index 48
A LETTER FROM DUCHESS DUCHESS HAUS In 1964 African American civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention She described the discrimination and violence she and other Black people faced She was forced to take a difficult literacy test when she tried to register to vote in 1962 These tests were designed to keep Black people from voting In her speech Hamer also described being unjustly arrested and beaten in jail Her experiences were common among Black people in the South at the time Hamer wanted to make the public more aware of these injustices Hamer’s 1964 speech was broadcast on major news networks throughout the country Her words influenced others to take action In 1965 President Lyndon B Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act This act banned obstacles that kept Black people from voting This book explores Hamer’s life and legacy Join me in learning about this influential civil rights leader Follow me on a journey that tells the story of the promise of freedom
Fannie Lou Hamer gave many speeches in support of African Americans civil rights
