Fannie Lou Hamer (October 6, 1917 – March 14, 1977) was an American civil rights and voting rights activist and philanthropist from Mississippi. She rose to prominence in the 1960s as one of the most influential civil rights leaders in the nation. Hamer fought to register and empower African-American citizens of Mississippi to vote, and advocated for poverty relief. As a Southern Christian leader, Hamer addressed the 1964 Democratic National Convention, speaking before the credentials committee and delivered the keynote address to the Mississippi Democratic Party state convention that same year. Hamer co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which challenged the all-white Mississippi Democratic Party in the 1968 United States Presidential Election. She was also instrumental in creating foundations to focus on education and health for African-Americans called the Freedom Farm Cooperative and the National Women’s Political Caucus. Hamer's legacy in the Civil Rights Movement is one of unyielding determination and passion that cemented her place as an important figure in American history.