Fannie Lou Hamer Digital Driving Tour Relaunches to Share the Civil Rights Leader’s Legacy with New Audiences
RULEVILLE, Mississippi – August 21, 2026 - Students, researchers and tourists have a new tool in their quest to learn more about the Mississippi-sharecropper-turned-civil-rights-activist Fannie Lou Hamer with the relaunch of her digital driving tour. The refreshed tour builds on the award-winning educational project Fannie Lou Hamer’s America, which includes the nationally broadcast documentary, a K–12 curriculum and digital resources dedicated to preserving and amplifying Hamer’s voice. The driving tour was originally developed as part of the “Find Your Voice” curriculum and features locations connected to Hamer’s life and activism, including sites in Ruleville, Sunflower County and Winona that help tell the story of her leadership in the civil rights movement. The M.W. Stringer Lodge in Jackson where Hamer and several others founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in April 1964 was added to the upgraded tour.Funded by the Mississippi Humanities Council and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the digital tour with immersive views is designed to make Hamer’s story more accessible for classrooms, cultural heritage travelers and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Mississippi’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors can explore historic locations, learn the significance of each site and connect Hamer’s grassroots organizing to broader themes of voting rights, civic participation, education, food justice and community empowerment.
“Mrs. Hamer’s story personifies the Mississippi Freedom Movement – how local people inspired and partnered with young activists to change the state and the country,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff, Executive Director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “This driving tour will help people from across Mississippi and the world understand the vital role Mrs. Hamer played in the movement and her continuing relevance to the issues of justice we still face today.”
The original driving tour, which included site descriptions, photos and a map of 10 relevant locations in Hamer’s life launched online in August 2019 and was designed by Fannie Lou Hamer historian and author Davis Houck and Pablo Correa. Houck was a consultant on the film and Correa was a videographer.
Joy Davenport, the film’s editor and director had the vision for the new driving tour that features the same 10 locations such as William Chapel Church in Ruleville where Hamer attended her first mass meeting, the Sunflower County Courthouse in Indianola, where she tried to register to vote, and the Winona jail site where she and several others were beaten. All locations now have short videos with archival audio footage of Hamer singing or talking about that location, current footage of the site, and archival news articles and photos. Videographer and editor Tommy Kirkpatrick
“There was so much we couldn’t show in the film due to time and cost,” said Monica Land, Hamer’s niece and producer of the film and the driving tour. “So, the motivation for doing this was to see another aspect of Aunt Fannie Lou’s life explored. And we’re asked all the time, ‘Where is Fannie Lou Hamer buried?’, Is there a statue of her?’, ‘Is there a museum?’ By expanding the reach of the driving tour, we allow visitors to hear Aunt Fannie Lou herself describe what happened at that location. And for those who can’t visit in person, this tour makes them feel as if they were. It preserves those places as living classrooms.”
Archival footage for the new driving tour was taken from the film with current locations shot by Jackson-based videographer and editor Tommy Kirkpatrick of CommonHouse Productions. The last video to be released, Atlantic City, is the only out of state location and is where Hamer gave her historic and emotional testimony before the Credentials Committee at the Democratic National Convention on August 22, 1964. That video posted Friday, Aug. 21 to commemorate that event. Visit Atlantic City funded the video and New Jersey-based videographer Pernell Pounce captured the footage. The driving tour is available on the film’s website, fannielouhamersamerica.com with maps and tourist information, and their YouTube channel.
The Digital Driving Tour relaunch also reflects ongoing work to strengthen the educational website and expand the Fannie Lou Hamer online resource center with additional historical materials, multimedia content and site interpretation. Educators, visitors and community partners are encouraged to use the tour as a teaching tool, travel resource, and starting point for conversations about civil rights history and civic engagement.###
About Fannie Lou HamerBorn in Mississippi in 1917, Fannie Lou Hamer became one of the most powerful voices of the Civil Rights Movement. A sharecropper turned organizer, she helped lead voter registration efforts, co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and challenged the nation to confront injustice through her historic 1964 testimony before the Democratic National Convention’s Credentials Committee. Her legacy continues through educational programs, public history initiatives and community storytelling projects that encourage new generations to “find your voice.”About Fannie Lou Hamer’s AmericaFannie Lou Hamer’s America is a documentary and educational initiative dedicated to sharing the life, words and legacy of civil rights leader and humanitarian Fannie Lou Hamer. The project includes a film, digital educational resources, curriculum materials, public programming and an online resource center created to support students, educators and the public.