Author, daughter of civil rights leader set to kick off MSU's Black History Month

Jacqueline Hamer Flakes to speak on her biography of the life of her mother, Fannie Lou Hamer

SAmuEL HugHES STAFF WRITER

On Feb. 1, Mississippi State University’s Mitchell Memorial Library will celebrate Black History Month with a visit from author Jacqueline Hamer Flakes.

Flakes is the daughter of Fannie Lou Hamer, a prominent civil rights leader during the 1960s and 1970s. In her novel, “Mamma Fannie”, Flakes detailed a biography of Hamer’s life.

Despite brutal violence and attempts at intimidation, Hamer worked tirelessly during the later years of her life to empower thousands of people during the Jim Crow era. She traveled extensively to educate people on the reality of what was happening in the South.

Hamer formed community organizations, like Freedom Farms, that benefitted many Mississippians. Through this organization, 640