Paper Example. Fannie Lou Hamer

This book explores the works of a celebrated civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, who was born on 6th October 1917, and died on 14th March 1977. Hamer was a women's rights and American voting activist, a leader in the civil rights movement, and a community organizer. Hamer was the vice-chair and co-founder of the Free Democratic Party.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Additionally, Hamer organized the Freedom Summer of Mississippi and also established the National Women's Political Caucus which recruited, trained and supported women of all races seeking election to government offices. The Life of a Civil Rights Icon remembers and assesses the life of one of the great civil rights activists from Mississippi called Fannie Lou Hamer. She was widely known for her brinkmanship, daring, and impassioned speechmaking. Hamer also rose to the forefront of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. The party was an intrepid group that tried unseating the white Democrats in Mississippi in the 1964 Democratic National Convention. For many years, blacks had suffered under racist policies and the politics of the state. Hamer decided to fight and transform this white supremacy since it was a very repressive and oppressive system.

Fannie Lou Hamer was an essential figure in Mississippi politics in the era of civil rights. In 1972, Hamer was known as the First Lady of Civil Rights, a title that she received from the League of Black Women. Even though this book does not discuss the heroic life of Hamer in details, it addresses her whole life in a generalized and political manner. While some people can claim that the book is a one-sided portrait, the book tries giving an unrivaled portrayal of Hamer. The book also appreciates Hamer's efforts towards improving and changing Mississippi's political climate. The life story of Hamer is more important currently in understanding race relations in the United States. Hamer's life story tells of the success of an individual over the Jim Crow system. The extraordinary story of Hamer offers rare insights into the ugliness and flaws of Mississippi politics in the early part of the 20th century.

Review of the Work

Does the Work Successfully Develop the Purpose of the Thesis?

The work successfully develops the thesis that the works of Hamer offer essential insights into the flaws and ugliness of politics in Mississippi during the mid 20th century. The author achieves this by introducing the major themes in the story, such as racial discrimination and oppression. According to Bracey, Fannie Lou Hamer was an influential and noted black activist in the 1960s and 1970s civil rights movement in America. Before Hamer's arrival on the scene, Mississippi's civil rights movement at the time was so lethal to an extent where people gave up. The African Americans at this time, especially in the Segregated South, were mainly victims of racial and political oppression.

Bracey states that" Hamer personally convinced the blacks to forget their fears and have more political engagement in Mississippi." Hamer had an understanding of the importance of the participation of African Americans. Hamer, born in Ruleville in 6th October 1917, had a firm belief that she owed a duty to the people of Mississippi". Hamer wanted to protect the rights and defend the African American society" Hamer paved the way for more African Americans, and she increased public awareness of the ever-changing culture in line with the race relations. Hamer gave way to other blacks since she challenged the status quo of White Supremacy. African Americans in the United States turned to Hamer for encouragement, support, leadership, advice, and suggestions.

Hamer was unique among the civil rights activists in the United States due to their political insights, honesty, and integrity and visionary. Hamer was a great listener who absorbed everything she could, mainly when she listened to the African Americans in her activist years. Being part of the civil rights movement transformed Hamer's adult life and her very existence. Additionally, the author states that Hamer focused on creating a coalition of whites and blacks across the country who would consider voting rights for the minority and call for equality and human rights. Bracey contends that Hamer developed into the most influential voice in the movement for voter registration in Mississippi. The African Americans in Mississippi were more involved in the city's Democratic Party. Hamer in her capacity as a black activist did not shy over marching into specific meetings and informing the civil rights workers what she thought (Bracey6). Hamer desired to understand the whites' indifference as she found it funny that someone would suddenly become hateful and insensitive.

Moreover, Hamer was realistic over the ideas of whites willingly giving the African Americans any rights since they had been routinely denied these rights. At the time, it was near uncertainty that the black were given respect and parity as human beings. For some whites, the lives of the African Americans were of n importance mainly in the South. Also, many African Americans believed that the resisting against the white population was too great to transform issues for them. Bracey, with her confidence, though she could change the course of things and how they were viewed at the time by fighting for blacks' rights.

Strengths of the Work

A significant advantage of this book lies in the arrangement of the work. The book is arranged in ways which promote improved understanding of the work. For example, in the introduction page, we are informed of the background of Hamer and the roles she played in the Civil Rights Movement. Additionally, the author uses leading questions which help the readers in understanding the thesis statement and the main topic or issue for consideration, which are the contributions of Hamer. The author consults legitimate sources and uses relevant quotes which help in justifying Hamer in the Civil Rights Movement. The ways the author expresses this information provides the readers with an understanding of the political climate in Mississippi during the 1960s and 1970s. Hamer was determined to push things as far as she could with the white American population. The chapters are clearly outlined and defined, and they provide the best transition between topics. Without these critical elements taken into consideration, the work of the author would have been vague, and the work could involve generalizations.

Weaknesses of the Work

There are apparent weaknesses in this book. An individual who has no interest in history and would want to have some understanding will not have an understanding of what the author is trying to pass across. For example, it is essential for the author to define the civil rights movement before placing information in context. The Civil Rights movement represented a struggle for social justice, which occurred in the 1950s and 1960s for the African America population looking to have equal rights under the law in America. At the time, the civil war effectively abolished slavery but not the discrimination against the blacks. The black community continued suffering from the severe impacts of racism, mainly in the South. In the mid 20th century, black society had a lot of violence and prejudice against them. "Alongside many whites, they mobilized and started fights for equality, which went for well over twenty years." This underlines the weaknesses of this book because such essential terms, such as the civil rights movement are not clearly defined.

Does the Author Write Well or Poorly?

The author writes the book well. The language which is used in writing the book is precise and understandable, and anyone can easily relate to it. A properly written book has every element, including the preface, acknowledgment, and conclusion sections, among others. For instance, the author introduces us to the life of Hamer in the preface section, which brings about a better understanding of the topic under study. The introduction section is well defined, and the critical points under consideration are clearly outlined. Through the introduction, the readers can know what is being discussed.

Additionally, the work has minimal to zero grammatical errors, which ensure there is proper flow. The transitions used in the work are enough to create harmony in the ideas presented in the book. To support his statements, the author provides information in the form of quotes. These quotes only serve to reinforce the beliefs of the author over the life of Hamer. Also, when there is the use of the first person voice, it means that the ideas which are expressed are her own. This removes the possibility of bias of information in work. The author provides summaries of the key events which happened in the life of Hamer and how she reacted to them. This is alongside giving information on the main themes of racism and discrimination, which was rampant in the 1960s United States of America.

The Credibility of Sources Supporting the Author's Work

The author relied on references to prove the credibility of the information which was provided. These include, among others the issues such as racism and discrimination. The references are mainly from secondary scholarly works which the author has relied on. These include articles which focus on issues of racism and the Civil Rights Movement. Notably, the work was edited adequately with no common mistakes in grammar and punctuation being perceived.

Is it a Work of Scholarship?

The work is a scholarship. Scholarly or peer-reviewed articles are often written by professionals or scholars who are experts in their various fields. This book was peer-reviewed by Bracey, who is a professional in the field of history, and this alone makes the work succeed as a scholarship.

Conclusion

Hamer is clearly remembered for her efforts in fighting for the rights and equality of African Americans in American society, particularly in Mississippi. As presented, the book attempts to display an unrivaled portrayal of Hamer. From the reviews, it is clear that the book appreciates Hamer's efforts towards improving and changing Mississippi's political climate. The life story of Hamer is more critical currently in understanding race relations in the United States. Hamer had an understanding of the importance of the participation of African Americans. This work has strengths and weaknesses. For instance, a major advantage is that the author uses leading questions which help the readers in understanding the thesis statement and the main topic or issue for consideration, which are the contributions of Hamer. The author writes the book well.

Furthermore, the language which is used in writing the book is precise and comprehensible, and the reader can effortlessly relate to it. The transitions used in work are enough to create harmony in the ideas presented in the book. The extraordinary story of Hamer offers rare insights into the ugliness and flaws of Mississippi politics in the early part of the 20th century.