ATLANTIC CITY — At Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk, across from the site of the 1964 Democratic National Convention, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and others honored civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer on Tuesday with her home state’s first Freedom Trail historic marker outside of Mississippi.
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For anyone attending Stockton who wanted to learn more about African American life, the university started offering about a dozen courses in 1984 that served as the foundation for what became its Africana studies program, where a student can major in the subject and travel to the continent of Africa.
Civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer's legacy will continue to live on in Atlantic City through a statue gifted to the resort that will live inside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, where she gave a famous speech in 1964.
GALLERY: Fannie Lou Hamer historical marker dedicated in Atlantic City
By Boardwalk Hall, 3rd Ward Councilman Kaleem Shabazz, speaking with Acting Governor Tahesha L. Way, and Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, at an unveiling ceremony for a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
Mississipppi Governor Tate Reeves gives remarks at an unveiling ceremony for a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer that was installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
Acting New Jersey Governor Tahesha L. Way gives remarks at an unveiling ceremony for a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer that was installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
Acting New Jersey Governor Tahesha L. Way gives remarks at an unveiling ceremony for a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer that was installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small gives remarks at an unveiling ceremony for a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer that was installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
“Yes, Fannie Lou Hamer, this is America, striving to be what you called us to be 60 years ago,” Atlantic City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz said Tuesday during a ceremony unveiling a historical marker dedicated to Hamer at Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk.
Dave Dennis, Sr. a member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, the Southern Regional Director, Congress of Racial Equality, and Program Director, Council of Federated Organizations, gives remarks at an unveiling ceremony for a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer that was installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
Dr. Roy DeBerry, member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Director, Hill Country Project, and Mississippi Freedom Trail Task Force, gave moving remarks of the pain and suffering endured in the fight for Civil Rights at the unveiling ceremony for a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer that was installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
John Spann, Program & Outreach Director for the Mississippi Humanities Council, gives remarks before the unveiling of a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer that was installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
Officials including Roy DeBerry, left, a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; Dave Dennis Sr., a member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party; Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves; New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way; Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., and City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz unveil a historical marker honoring Fannie Lou Hamer’s speech at the 1964 Democratic National Convention at Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk.
By Boardwalk Hall, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, seen here talking with Atlantic City Historian Ralph Hunter, center, and standing beside New Jersey Acting Governor Tahesha L. Way, after a memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer was officially unveiled on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
A memorial donated by the state of Mississippi for Fannie Lou Hamer is installed on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Those in attendance at the dedication ceremony include the Governors of New Jersey and Mississippi as well as survivors of the group Hamer worked with in the 1960s to integrate the Democratic Party's delegations to national conventions.
"In August, 1964, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) traveled to Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Democratic National Convention. MFDP delegates argued that the all-White regular state party violated the bylaws of the national party by excluding Black Mississippians. The challenge included Fannie Lou Hamer's riveting testimony before the credentials committee. Although the MFDP was not seated, their effort led to the creation of Mississippi's first integrated delegation in 1968."
Michelle Brunetti Post
Staff Writer
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