Visitor’s Center
Since her death on March 14, 1977, Fannie Lou Hamer has been recognized worldwide as a national icon. Her funeral and memorial service in Ruleville later that month drew more people than the small town in the Mississippi Delta actually had as residents. People who were not able to see her in life, flocked to William Chapel for the last chance to see her - in death. And since then, her final resting place has seen a constant flow of visitors from across the county who come to pay their respects at the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden - to accomplished so much. This page showcases poignant photographs of visitors paying their respects at Fannie Lou Hamer’s grave and statue in Ruleville, Mississippi. Each image captures the deep reverence and admiration that people from near and far feel for Hamer’s remarkable legacy. These moments of remembrance highlight how her impact continues to inspire new generations, bringing together individuals who honor her life and the enduring spirit of the Civil Rights Movement at these historic sites.For more information about visiting Fannie Lou Hamer sites, please see our Driving Tour. Photo: A young visitor marvels at the Fannie Lou Hamer statue in the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden and Park in Ruleville, Mississippi. (Photo credit/copyright: Fannie Lou Hamer's America - Dr. Maegan Parker Brooks)To submit your photo to this page, please email it and the information to flhamerica@gmail.com.
Mississippi Centers For Justice.
Mississippi Centers for Justice (MCJ) has organized The Great Mississippi Road Trip that tours locations throughout the Mississippi Delta pivotal in the fight for Civil Rights. Part of the tour includes a viewing of the award-winning film, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America. (Photos courtesy of MCJ)
The commemorative booklet for The Great Mississippi Road Trip.
Activist Charles McLaurin (center) joined visitors for the 2024 road trip and talked about his extensive work as a Freedom Fighter and time spent with Fannie Lou Hamer as her campaign manager.
Personal Reflections.
Photo Credits: Tiffany D. Loftin, Mike Espy, Alshunda Allie Quinn, Marion Giles, Jim Murty, John Rice, Desiree Norwood, Fred and Judith Thomas, Dr. Rolando Herts, Heber Brown III, Wabash College, Iowa State University, Langston University, Delta State University, Brown University and the Swearer Center. Group Tours.
For the last seven years, as part of the Brown-Tougaloo Partnership (BTP), the Swearer Center (bottom left) organizes a trip to Mississippi where students can explore the history and legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and the Brown-Tougaloo Partnership. Below, the students pose with Freedom Rider and Fannie Lou Hamer's fellow activist Charles McLaurin (Fourth from right of statue). (Bottom right) Students from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana toured the Mississippi Delta as a continuation of their classroom discussions on civil rights.
Brown University.
Wabash College.
Iowa State & Langston University.
Students from Iowa State University and Langston University visited many historical sites in the Mississippi Delta, including the statue of Fannie Lou Hamer, who advocated voting and civil rights in the 1960s and 70s.The new Study USA Programs offered by Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences allow undergraduate students to earn academic credit while embarking on domestic travel within the U.S.In March 2022, the inaugural Study USA program took students to the Mississippi Delta over spring break, and was led by Gail Carpenter, assistant teaching professor of animal science. Carpenter planned the inter-institutional trip with Nick Timmerman, assistant professor of history at Langston University, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in Langston, Oklahoma.Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA).
Over the past two decades, The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area have empowered Mississippi Delta residents and tourists to gain a better understanding of the Civil Rights Movement in the Mississippi Delta, as well as to share their own stories.Delta Center's Dr. Rolando Herts and Lee Aylward gathered with Lens Collective multimedia storytelling scholars at Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden in Ruleville, Miss., in April 2018. More than 50 photojournalism students and award-winning faculty mentors from across the country traveled to the Mississippi Delta to document civil-rights heritage stories. Recent trips have included a screening of the film, Fannie Lou Hamer's America on the tour bus. Photo courtesy Dr. Rolando Herts.
