This book was very interesting to read because I had never heard of Fannie Lou Hamer before. She was one of the cofounders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. She spoke publicly for the first time at the Democratic Convention in 1964. She spoke out about how horrifically black people were treated if they tried to vote. She gave her testimony about how she had been arrested and beaten. She fought for black people to be able to vote, to run for office, and to end segregation. Fannie Lou later led powerful civil rights movement songs. She ran for Congress, was a delegate from the Mississippi Loyalist Democratic party, and was a member of the Democratic National Committee. She also started the Freedom Farm Cooperative. She accomplished many incredible, historical things although she faced adversity such as being black, female, and poor in the 1960s-1970s. As the reader, I was inspired and enjoyed how I could truly hear her voice within the book. ( )

The story of Fannie Lou Hammer is a story of a woman who worked to register to vote and educate black people to be able to do the same.
The author was able to convey through the text how difficult Hamer childhood was and how Hamer faced racism at a very early age. Hamer seemed to understand that racism and discrimination played a major role in her family's inability to progress. Young Hamer's understanding of the situation caused her to wish she was white so that she could enjoy simple things such as having enough food to eat. After growing up and marrying she attended a meeting held at her church just out of curiosity. At this meeting, Hamer learned that black people could vote. Hamer's ignorance of her right to vote is a great way to begin a discussion on how as citizens we have a right to vote and why wouldn't white want blacks to vote during this time period. Colman also goes on to discuss at what lengths whites went to ensure that blacks wasn't able to vote.

Due to the book being text heavy and including photos, but lacking in illustrations I would recommend it for upper elementary grades. This biography can be used for learning about Hamer but should be supplemented with additional resources to get a full understanding of Hamer's life and the importance of her work. ( )