Marker unveiled in Montgomery County in honor of Fannie Lou Hamer

MONTGOMERY CO., Miss. (WLBT) - The unveiling ceremony commemorates Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer’s connection to the small town of KilMicheal, where her husband, Perry “Pap” Hamer was born and raised.

Organizers want the marker to serve as a constant reminder of Hamer’s sacrifices and accomplishments for generations.

An unveiling ceremony was held along North Depot Avenue in the heart of downtown Kilmichael. The idea for the marker, as well as the funding for it, came from two Montgomery County natives — Chris Snell and her husband, Wiley.

The couple worked with Jim Woodrick and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for two years in their effort to preserve Mrs. Hamer’s legacy in the town.

“I would say that Fannie Lou Hamer is it because when she walked into a room, she claimed it,” said Snell. “So everybody today, we are claiming the existence, the vocation of this brilliant woman who stood beside some of the most incredible Civil Rights leaders.”

Hamer, a Mississippi Delta sharecropper, fought for the same rights as other Americans in the 1960′s. She was also the co-founder of the Freedom Democratic Party, which challenged the local Democratic party’s efforts to block black participation. In fact, she even went to the national convention and demanded change.

“It’s a living legacy in terms of her achievements and what she was able to do and the impact and the influence that she had not only in the state but around the world,” Leslie-Burl McLemore, a JSU professor, said. So to be in this place at this time, there is no other place I would rather be than here talking about Fannie Lou Hamer.”

Organizers say this marker is a reminder of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer’s contributions so that future generations can continue their thrust for excellence by lifting their voices as she did.

“I know the grounds, and I know that the earth is moving in a beautiful direction today because Fannie Lou Hammer paces this ground, and we are so lovely, so delightful, and honored that she did,” Snell said.

This is the second marker in Montgomery County that acknowledges Mrs. Hamer’s efforts for racial equity. The first was unveiled on June 9, 2022, in Winona at the site of the former jail where Hamer and several other activists were beaten in 1963.

Mrs. Hamer’s last surviving child, Jacqueline Hamer Flakes, was supposed to be the guest speaker today but died on March 27, so a portion of the program honored her memory.

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