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Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer was a woman born and raised in mid-1900s Mississippi. Hamer worked on a plantation until 1962 where she was the only enslaved person who knew how to read and write. In 1961, Hamer had a hysterectomy performed on her by a white doctor without her consent. This life-altering surgery led Hamer to become an activist for Black rights. She co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), which encouraged Black participation in politics. She was passionate about her right to vote, so she ran for the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1964. Hamer was prohibited from the ballot, so she protested against the decision with Victoria Gray and Annie Devine. All three women were the first Black women to stand in front of U.S. Congress. Hamer organized "Freedom Summer" which encouraged Black voter registration among college students. She also started the Freedom Farm Cooperative (FFC) which provided resources for Black farmers. Hamer passed away at 59 years old from breast cancer.
Sonita Alizadeh
Sonita Alizadeh
Sonita Alizadeh was born in Afghanistan but raised in Iran to escape the Taliban. At just 16 years old, Sonita found out she was being sold into marriage. Alizadeh found safety and comfort in rap music, specifically inspired by Eminem. She started making music which had themes of pain, violence, and the pressure young women face in society. Her most popular rap, "Daughters for Sale," went viral on social media and was recognized by a nonprofit organization called "Strongheart Group." Strongheart helped fund Alizadeh's move to the United States, where she began attending school and continued her passion for rap. Alizadeh also made a documentary based on her experience with child marriage. The documentary won the World Documentary Audience Award, a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the IDGA Amsterdam Film Festival. In 2020, Alizadeh was nominated for the "Women Building Peace Award." Alizadeh is currently pursuing higher education and continues to make music.
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Amanda Blackhorse
Amanda Blackhorse
Amanda Blackhorse is a member of the Navajo Nation. Blackhorse served as a plaintiff in Blackhorse et al v. Pro-Football Inc. (2006) where she pushed for the "Redskins" NFL team to change their team's name and logo as it was racially insensitive to the Native American community. Blackhorse was always passionate about protecting her community; she refused to move her home on the Navajo Nation and participated in various protests to get rid of racist mascots used in the NFL. Today, Blackhorse is a social worker and hasn't stopped fighting for Native Americans.
Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta is pivotal in labor activism for Hispanics and Latino/e/x communities. In 1955, Huerta co-founded the Community Service Organization (CSO), Stockton chapter, which pushed for voter registration and economic growth in Hispanic and Latino/e/x communities. In addition, Huertas founded the Agricultural Workers Association which protects and empowers agricultural workers. In 1962, Huertas along with Cesar Chavez, founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). This was a huge win for farmers, and more specifically Hispanic and Latino/e/x farmers. In 1965, Huerta helped organize a workers' strike that led to the negotiation of workers' contracts. Huertas led a grape boycott in 1973 that led to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975. This act allowed unions to be formed among farmworkers and created better working conditions and wages. Huertas earned the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Today, Huertas still fights for Hispanic and Latino/e/x workers' rights and women's rights.
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