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Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century
This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
The award-winning biography of black civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. "Riveting. Provides a history that helps us to understand the choices made by so many black men and women of Hamer's generation, who somehow found the courage to join a movement in which they risked everything." New York Times Book Review "One is forced to pause and consider that this black daughter of the Old South might have been braver than King and Malcolm." Washington Post Book World "An epic that nurtures us as we confront today's challenges and helps us Keep Hope Alive.'" Jesse L. Jackson "Not only does This Little Light of Mine recount a vital part of America"s history, but it lights our future as readers are inspired anew by Mrs. Hamer's spirit, courage, and commitment." Marian Wright Edelman "This book is the essence of raw courage. It must be read." Rep. John Lewis
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 31, 2015
3.5 stars. I finally got around to reading this book. Fannie Lou Hamer was an amazing woman. Had she lived past the age of 59 she would have done so much more. I love reading about the civil rights era and I cant believe I have never read anything about her until now. Even with all the civil rights movies still no mention of her. She is definitly an unsung civil rights leader. She did so much for the movement and as I write this I just can't believe there is not a movie or documentary about her life.
Although I am glad Kay Mills wrote a story about this amazing woman, I could not give a higher rating. Mills writing style was long winded and tedious. I found myself at times having to push through just to stay focused.
I read the hardback edition. actual story was 314 pages.
Although I am glad Kay Mills wrote a story about this amazing woman, I could not give a higher rating. Mills writing style was long winded and tedious. I found myself at times having to push through just to stay focused.
I read the hardback edition. actual story was 314 pages.
June 5, 2015
What extraordinary lives some seemingly ordinary people lead! Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer has always been a heroine of ours; This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer merely served to cement our certainty of the greatness of her strong and indomitable spirit. From her birth as the twentieth child of poor Mississippi sharecroppers, through her life as first a victim and then a champion of victim's rights and a leader of the civil rights movement, Kay Mills left no stone in Mrs. Hamer's life unturned. This biography had us glued to our seats right through to the final page. Highly recommended.
October 18, 2023
Written by a reporter, not the usual sort of biography, but it's all there, the backstory of why my hero, Fannie Lou Hamer, became the fighter for justice in America's 1950s and 1960s. I wish everyone knew Mrs. Hamer's story.
March 19, 2013
This is an inspirational book on a Civil Rights activist who was poor, a woman and oppressed. At the end of her life in Mississippi she was able to vote and participate in democracy, but she was still poor. Fannie Lou Hamer became active in the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960’s when activists were attempting to urge local Mississippi African American citizens to register to vote. Fannie Lou Hamer decided to exercise her democratic rights and never looked back. It is an awe-inspiring story.
Fannie Lou Hamer was jailed and beaten because of her repeated attempts to vote and too urge other Mississippi African Americans to vote. She participated in the 1964 Democratic convention in an alternative platform to the white segregationist Democrats who ‘represented’ her state. She changed history. At the next Democratic convention in 1968 the Mississippi delegation was mixed.
She was constantly challenging the power of the white segregationist establishment in her state. It took several years to obtain full voting rights for African Americans. She was not an educated person, but was passionate and articulate for basic human rights. She realized that white people needed to be free of their hatred.
Her story is a worthy one and well told.
Fannie Lou Hamer was jailed and beaten because of her repeated attempts to vote and too urge other Mississippi African Americans to vote. She participated in the 1964 Democratic convention in an alternative platform to the white segregationist Democrats who ‘represented’ her state. She changed history. At the next Democratic convention in 1968 the Mississippi delegation was mixed.
She was constantly challenging the power of the white segregationist establishment in her state. It took several years to obtain full voting rights for African Americans. She was not an educated person, but was passionate and articulate for basic human rights. She realized that white people needed to be free of their hatred.
Her story is a worthy one and well told.
November 20, 2021
Fannie Lou Hamer is the fierce unsung hero of the civil rights movement who deserves far more of history’s spotlight.
Kay Mills’ book is particularly relevant as new voter restriction laws are being enacted to prevent people – mostly non-white and poor – from exercising the right to vote.
Some of the same arguments made in the 1960s and 1970s are the same ones being thrown about today. One that stood out to me is that community leaders, in this case Head Start, are accused of mismanaging funds. In Michigan, this has been a particular refrain applied to predominantly Black-run cities such as Detroit, Flint, and Benton Harbor. This needs to be recognized for the racist dog whistle that it is.
The biggest takeaway for me is the reminder that civil rights issues are not ancient history. My parents were in high school and young adults when most Black people in America, especially the Southern U.S., could not vote. We (people of all races and creeds) need to fight to ensure this recent past is not swept under the rug.
Kay Mills’ book is particularly relevant as new voter restriction laws are being enacted to prevent people – mostly non-white and poor – from exercising the right to vote.
Some of the same arguments made in the 1960s and 1970s are the same ones being thrown about today. One that stood out to me is that community leaders, in this case Head Start, are accused of mismanaging funds. In Michigan, this has been a particular refrain applied to predominantly Black-run cities such as Detroit, Flint, and Benton Harbor. This needs to be recognized for the racist dog whistle that it is.
The biggest takeaway for me is the reminder that civil rights issues are not ancient history. My parents were in high school and young adults when most Black people in America, especially the Southern U.S., could not vote. We (people of all races and creeds) need to fight to ensure this recent past is not swept under the rug.
March 16, 2014
One of the best biographies I have ever read! Fannie Lou Hamer was an amazing woman and Kay Mills did an excellent job of telling her story.
August 17, 2010
Once you read about this amazing, inspiring woman, shame on you if you ever skip voting on election day. This intense woman, a Mississippi Delta sharecropper, embodies what it means to be a patriot and an American.
I'm so proud of the kids in the Sunflower County Freedom Project (www.sunflowerfreedom.org) who are carrying out her legacy of education, direct action, and social engagement.
I'm so proud of the kids in the Sunflower County Freedom Project (www.sunflowerfreedom.org) who are carrying out her legacy of education, direct action, and social engagement.
June 11, 2017
"I am sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Years later, she recalled jumping off moving trucks full of workers "to retrieve newspapers and pieces of magazines caught in the cotton along dirt roads between fields and of picking through the trash behind the big house just to have something – anything – in print to read."
Years later, she recalled jumping off moving trucks full of workers "to retrieve newspapers and pieces of magazines caught in the cotton along dirt roads between fields and of picking through the trash behind the big house just to have something – anything – in print to read."
August 14, 2022
Such a shame that her powerful story isn't more widely known!
December 28, 2016
Reading this book brought the sobering realization that my life growing up was one of relative affluence and privilege while others during that same time in Mississippi and elsewhere were struggling and giving their lives for the right to vote and put food on their tables.
Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer was a fierce and dedicated community organizer and leader in the 60's and 70's who's story should be known by all Americans. "If Fannie Lou Hamer had had the same opportunities that Martin Luther King had, than would have had a female Martin Luther King", according to Henry Kirksey, Civil Rights leader and former senator from Mississippi.
This book by Kay Mills is very readable should be made into a movie. Mrs. Hamer is inspiring and must not be forgotten.
Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer was a fierce and dedicated community organizer and leader in the 60's and 70's who's story should be known by all Americans. "If Fannie Lou Hamer had had the same opportunities that Martin Luther King had, than would have had a female Martin Luther King", according to Henry Kirksey, Civil Rights leader and former senator from Mississippi.
This book by Kay Mills is very readable should be made into a movie. Mrs. Hamer is inspiring and must not be forgotten.
April 20, 2017
Fannie Lou Hamer was a remarkable woman for the times she lived in. I recommend this book to anyone who is even a little bit interested in the history of the civil rights movement. She was one of the unsung heroes of the time. She wasn't as famous as Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King. However her accomplishments were just as heroic.
She was a leader in the civil rights movement and a philanthropist. Although she kept her activities local to Mississippi, she was instrumental in organizing the Mississippi freedom summer, for the student non violent coordinating committee.(SNCC)
She also represented the Mississippi freedom Democratic party at the DNC in 1964, unheard of at the time. Fascinating read! I recommend it highly.
She was a leader in the civil rights movement and a philanthropist. Although she kept her activities local to Mississippi, she was instrumental in organizing the Mississippi freedom summer, for the student non violent coordinating committee.(SNCC)
She also represented the Mississippi freedom Democratic party at the DNC in 1964, unheard of at the time. Fascinating read! I recommend it highly.
April 10, 2011
Fascinating subject, well-researched, average writing. As a US History teacher I appreciated adding detail and nuance to my understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and to the history of white supremacy. Fannie Lou Hamer was an amazing women. The book itself is a narrative biography that reads like journalism. Kay Mills, a veteran reporter, deploys her skills well in gathering information and anecdotes about Mrs. Hamer, but the resulting narration can be plodding at times.
October 21, 2007
An incredible read.
November 24, 2015
A great biography that is well suited for a general audience.
June 19, 2011
I learned and developed a new appreciation for Ms.Hamer after reading this book. In school I heard and read books that mentioned her but this book told her story with great detail.
November 8, 2020
Excellent telling of the life story of one of the most important figures in the African American Freedom Movement.
May 1, 2012
I actually read the updated 2011 version of this book. So glad to finally get a more full story of this woman!
April 30, 2014
An inspiring and detailed biography well worth the read!
March 28, 2016
I. Love. This. Book.
February 26, 2019
This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer is a biography of Fannie Lou Hamer, who is a noted civil rights activist. Kay Mills was a journalist and author of five non-fiction books who revived the nearly-lost stories of women journalists and civil rights icons, wrote this biography.
Fannie Lou Hamer (née Townsend) was an American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement. She was the co-founder and vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
The twentieth child of dirt-poor black Mississippi sharecroppers, and with little schooling, Fannie Lou Hamer was an unlikely candidate for greatness. However, in the late 60's and early 70's, she came to symbolize black efforts to achieve full political and economical participation in the South.
In 1962, the 44-year-old Hamer attended a meeting of the Freedom Riders – a meeting that, aimed at organizing black voter registration, would lead to her addressing the Democratic Convention, to national awards, and to invitations to the White House – as well as to jail and a severe beating.
Deeply religious and known for her powerful singing, hence the title of the biography, Hamer challenged the seating of the all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic Convention and the legitimacy of Mississippi's congressional representatives. She continued to register voters, ran for Congress against segregationist stalwarts, and called for an end to poverty. Ensuing civil-rights legislation vindicated her efforts, but, by the early 70's, her radicalism – she was against the Vietnam War and favored land redistribution – had alienated many of her supporters.
This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer is written and research extremely well. In this thorough, sensitive biography, Mills drew on published sources and interviews with principals and reconstructs the efforts of civil rights activists to register fearful rural voters. Mills depicts how Hamer shifted from private outrage to public person' and describes how her politics evolved to include social reconstruction.
Mills doesn't ignore complexities: she details controversies over Hamer's role in a local Mississippi Head Start program and in a race for Democratic national committeewoman and indicates that certain middle-class blacks were alienated from her. The book emphasizes Hamer's public life more than her private one and notes that Hamer rarely spoke about her family.
All in all, This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer is a wonderful biography of a very influential and iconic civil rights activists and politicians.
Fannie Lou Hamer (née Townsend) was an American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement. She was the co-founder and vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
The twentieth child of dirt-poor black Mississippi sharecroppers, and with little schooling, Fannie Lou Hamer was an unlikely candidate for greatness. However, in the late 60's and early 70's, she came to symbolize black efforts to achieve full political and economical participation in the South.
In 1962, the 44-year-old Hamer attended a meeting of the Freedom Riders – a meeting that, aimed at organizing black voter registration, would lead to her addressing the Democratic Convention, to national awards, and to invitations to the White House – as well as to jail and a severe beating.
Deeply religious and known for her powerful singing, hence the title of the biography, Hamer challenged the seating of the all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic Convention and the legitimacy of Mississippi's congressional representatives. She continued to register voters, ran for Congress against segregationist stalwarts, and called for an end to poverty. Ensuing civil-rights legislation vindicated her efforts, but, by the early 70's, her radicalism – she was against the Vietnam War and favored land redistribution – had alienated many of her supporters.
This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer is written and research extremely well. In this thorough, sensitive biography, Mills drew on published sources and interviews with principals and reconstructs the efforts of civil rights activists to register fearful rural voters. Mills depicts how Hamer shifted from private outrage to public person' and describes how her politics evolved to include social reconstruction.
Mills doesn't ignore complexities: she details controversies over Hamer's role in a local Mississippi Head Start program and in a race for Democratic national committeewoman and indicates that certain middle-class blacks were alienated from her. The book emphasizes Hamer's public life more than her private one and notes that Hamer rarely spoke about her family.
All in all, This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer is a wonderful biography of a very influential and iconic civil rights activists and politicians.
February 19, 2021
This book is a biography of Fannie Lou Hamer who was an important person in the Civil Rights movements of the 1960's. Mrs. Hamer was intentionally sterilized by a white doctor without her consent. In the early 1960's she lost her job of 18 years on a plantation when she attempted to register to vote in Mississippi. She failed the test, but for simply attempting to register to vote, she and her husband were evicted from their property that evening when the plantation owner found out that she had attempted to register to vote. Eventually, Mrs. Hamer was able to pass the test to register to vote. One year later, she was helping other black people to register to vote when she was arrested and severely beaten by the police. She spent most of her time fighting for the right for black people to vote. Yes, the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965, but state officials in Mississippi said that the law did not apply to their state. Fannie Lou Hamer had to fight many legal battles to help blacks to get the right to vote. The severe beating took a toll on her health. The last five years of her life she was spent in a lot of pain which limited her activities. She died at the age of 59. Her most enduring characteristic was not wanting to get even with those that mistreated her. She was very vocal about voting rights for black people, but she was not vengeanful.
April 7, 2024
The subject of this book was an amazingly courageous woman. Fanny Lou Hamer risked everything to advance her radical belief that society could undergo tetonic change when pushed by enough people who decided they were sick and tired of being sick and tired -- and simply weren't going to put up with it anymore.
I am glad I read this because like many I came to it with almost no awareness of Hamer, who has been so poorly treated in a lot of histories of the civil rights movement.
This was a tough slog at times and Mills' attention to detail can be offputting. She isn't the most adroit writer, although no one could fault her thouroughness. I did, however,love the last line: "In the very end her heart failed, the only time it ever did." Love that.
I am glad I read this because like many I came to it with almost no awareness of Hamer, who has been so poorly treated in a lot of histories of the civil rights movement.
This was a tough slog at times and Mills' attention to detail can be offputting. She isn't the most adroit writer, although no one could fault her thouroughness. I did, however,love the last line: "In the very end her heart failed, the only time it ever did." Love that.
January 14, 2021
Pretty solid biography of Fannie Lou Hamer with wonderful anecdotes and perspectives from a number of notable people. Sometimes the reading was a little dense and I would lose track of chronology but it was great work to bring out this person so little known for her involvement these days in the civil rights movement.
October 28, 2025
Not bad. FLH is an outstanding role model for grassroots organizers and activists, or anyone who is averse to compromise. That said, she wasn't a writer, and more of her words would have been appreciated.
January 19, 2020
Is insulting to Mrs. Hamer from the first page. Is written from an entrenched white perspective. Is unredeemable bad
and ought to not be inflicted
on any of us. Way entirely disappointed.
and ought to not be inflicted
on any of us. Way entirely disappointed.
July 24, 2020
Book gives a good sense of her life and times in the Mississippi delta - she really was a powerful force for the rights of her community.
August 20, 2022
Good book on the history of the Civil Rights movement from voter registration in the mid60s through the 70s, all through the lens of Fannie Lou Hamer, a remarkable woman.
March 9, 2016
"But I'm gonna stay in Mississippi, and if they shoot me down, I'll be buried here."
This is an incredibly informative and rich biography of the great Fannie Lou Hamer.
I appreciate that the author goes out of her way to talk about being a white woman writing about such a remarkable black woman. This book not only gives us a sense of what a rich and dedicated person Ms. Hamer was but also how truly difficult life was for the African American community. It is not as long ago as people like to think. By writing about the difficulties - from brutality to false arrests to being unable to vote and unable to go to school - it underscores the fact, for those who like to rewrite history, that there at times were truly no options for people of color.
Ms. Hamer's enthusiasm and dedication shine a pleasant light on the context of this story. Through people who knew her and people she helped we get an idea of what a courageous woman she really was.
While the book reads as passive at times it goes to show the difficult and vibrant life that Ms. Hamer lived and how she was willing to stop at nothing for justice.
This is an incredibly informative and rich biography of the great Fannie Lou Hamer.
I appreciate that the author goes out of her way to talk about being a white woman writing about such a remarkable black woman. This book not only gives us a sense of what a rich and dedicated person Ms. Hamer was but also how truly difficult life was for the African American community. It is not as long ago as people like to think. By writing about the difficulties - from brutality to false arrests to being unable to vote and unable to go to school - it underscores the fact, for those who like to rewrite history, that there at times were truly no options for people of color.
Ms. Hamer's enthusiasm and dedication shine a pleasant light on the context of this story. Through people who knew her and people she helped we get an idea of what a courageous woman she really was.
While the book reads as passive at times it goes to show the difficult and vibrant life that Ms. Hamer lived and how she was willing to stop at nothing for justice.
January 15, 2013
A deeply inspiring biography of one of the great unsung heroes of the civil rights movement. Mrs. Hamer was an amazing woman.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews