Fannie Lou Hamer was born October 6, 1917. Hamer never knew she, as an African American, could register to vote, and never tried until 1963. She then became a leader in the voting rights and civil rights campaigns in Mississippi. Learn more about the woman called "the spirit of the civil rights movement":
• Fannie Lou Hamer - basic facts
• Fannie Lou Hamer Biography
• Fannie Lou Hamer Quotes
• Women and the Civil Rights Movement
• African American Women 1950-1999
• Rosa Parks
• Famous Black Women
American politics question: can you name the five women who've served longest as cabinet members? And yes, who's included depends a bit on how you define "served longest" -- it's a different answer if you combine separate terms in two cabinet positions, or are interested in time served in a single cabinet position. Can you also guess who served the very longest (hint: she just held one office). Check your guess, and see how you did:
Are women people according to the US Constitution? Do the equal protections clauses apply to situations where men and women are treated differently? The history of court decisions on what sound like simple questions is quite interesting. If you want to explore that, I've assembled some resources to see some of this history:
In the 16th century, Mirabai's willingness to sacrifice family respect and traditional gender, family, and caste restrictions, and to devote herself completely and enthusiastically to Krishna, made her an important role model in a religious movement that stressed ecstatic devotion and that rejected traditional divisions based on sex, class, caste, and creed. Learn more:
Mirabai: Bhakti Poet and Saint
