Fannie Lou Hamer’s Presidential Medal Of Freedom On Display at Two Mississippi Museums
Jackson, Mississippi
222 North Street, Jackson, MS
601.576.6800
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SUNDAY 11AM–5PM & Tuesday – Saturday 9AM–5PM
Fannie Lou Hamer’s Medal of Freedom:
A Lasting Tribute
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, MS, stands as a powerful testament to the struggles and triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement. Opened in December 2017, the museum features eight interactive galleries that chronicle the fight against racial injustice, from the era of slavery through the pivotal events of the 1960s and beyond. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum features prominent figures whose bravery and determination helped shape the fight for equality such as Medgar Evers, Vernon Dahmer, James Meredith and Fannie Lou Hamer. Their stories, along with those of countless other grassroots organizers and community leaders, are brought to life through artifacts, oral histories, dynamic displays and compelling exhibits that illustrate the collective strength that propelled the Civil Rights Movement forward and honors those brave foot soldiers who challenged oppression and demanded change. In January 2025, Fannie Lou Hamer was posthumously awarded the highest honor granted a civilian - the Presidential Medal of Freedom. That medal, a symbol of her extraordinary dedication to justice and equality, is now on permanent display in the gallery featuring Hamer's famous words at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, “I Question America”. As visitors step into the Museum and this honored exhibition, they will be immersed in stories of courage, pain, and hope, and moved to reflect on the courageous leadership, sacrifice and tireless advocates for civil rights like Fannie Lou Hamer. Medal Presentation: The White House - January 4, 2025
President Joe Biden presented Fannie Lou Hamer’s Medal of Freedom to her niece, Doris Hamer Richardson at the White House on January 4, 2025. Monica Land, Hamer's niece and producer of the film, Fannie Lou Hamer's America and project director for the digital Fannie Lou Hamer Educational Resource Center, donated the medal to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) in October 2025. The medal was officially unveiled for permanent display at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on February 10, 2026.Medal Unveiling: Mississippi Civil Rights Museum - February 10, 2026
Fannie Lou Hamer’s Presidential Medal Of Freedom on display at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in the "I Question America" gallery. Eddie Fair talks to the audience and members of the media.Fannie Lou Hamer’s niece, Marilyn Mays (left) represented the family, who donated the medal to the MDAH, at the official unveiling at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on Feb. 10, 2026.Also present for the event was Michael Morris (center), executive director for The Two Mississippi Museums and (left) Hamer’s nephew and Hinds County Tax Collector Eddie Fair. 
Michael Morris, executive director of the Two Mississippi Museums explains how Fannie Lou Hamer's testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention changed American politics.
Also pictured are Hamer’s niece, Marilyn Mays (left), and (center) Winona, MS historian Vickie Roberts Ratliff.Fannie Lou Hamer’s Medal Of Freedom and other artifacts from Hamer’s activism during the 1960s on display at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.Media Coverage.
WAPT
WHUC
Mississippi Today
Photos on this page courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and Hisory (MDAH), Skyler Smith, Sheila Byrd, Ted Hammerman, Shamira Muhammad, Vickie Roberts Ratliff, the Jackson Advocate and Rogelio Solis.To contact a member of the Hamer family, please email us at flhamerica@gmail.comWJTV
WHUC
WHUC
Additional Photos.
Marilyn Mays and civil righs activist MacArthur Cotton.A photograph from outside Staley’s Cafe in Winona, Mississippi where Fannie Lou Hamer and several others were arrested in June 1963 returning from a voter registration workshop. They were viciously beaten in jail. Fannie Lou Hamer’s Medal Of Freedom on display with other artifacts from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) which Hamer and several others founded in April 1964. Eight galleries at the Museum encircle a central space entitled, “This Little Light Of Mine.” Gallery 6, named: “I Question America” covers the years 1963-1964 and portrays people like Fannie Lou Hamer, who gathered in churches, Masonic Halls and community centers as local movements grew into coordinated state campaigns.Marilyn Mays reflects on the contributions and sacrifices of her aunt. Artifacts at the Museum include documents from the trial for the five law enforcement officers charged with having Fannie Lou Hamer and several others beaten while in a Winona jail in June 1963.Fannie Lou Hamer’s niece, Marilyn Mays explains how Hamer opened the way for every Black person to register and vote. Fannie Lou Hamer’s niece, Marilyn Mays and nephew, Eddie Fair, answer questions from the media during the unveiling of Hamer’s Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Michael Morris in the "I Question America" Gallery where Fannie Lou Hamer's Presidential Medal Of Freedom is housed.Other artifacts on display with Fannie Lou Hamer's Presidential Medal of Freedom.Fannie Lou Hamer’s nephew, Eddie Fair speaks to the media as to when he first heard the medal was going to be housed in the Museum.Eddie Fair and Marilyn Mays share a moment of quiet reflection on the life and legacy of their aunt Fannie Lou Hamer.Eddie Fair and Michael Morris. A pamphlet from the Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party (MFDP) which Hamer helped found in 1964 on display with her Presidential Medal Of Freedom.