Fannie Lou Hamer Voting Rights Activist - DVD

The battles for African American women fought 100 years ago-for a constitutional right and against segregationist and discriminatory Jim Crow laws in the South echo today as American women continue to work against voter suppression and for full access to the polls. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Black women played an active role in the struggle for universal suffrage. They participated in political meetings and organized political societies, as well as attend political conventions at their local churches where they planned strategies to gain the right to vote. In the late 1800s, more Black women worked for churches, newspapers, secondary schools, and colleges, which gave them a larger to promote their ideas. But in spite of their hard work, many people didn't listen to them. Black men and white women usually led civil rights organizations and set the agenda and often excluded Black women from their organizations and activities. Though Black women are less well remembered, they played an important role in getting the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments passed.

CRUSADER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. IDA B WELLS walked the long road from slavery to freedom and equality. Born 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi to parents who were former slaves, she rose to challenge and strongly condemned American lynching in the South. Her work as teacher, journalist and human rights activist brought worldwide attention to this brutality. She was a community organizer and grass roots leader who was a precursor of the modern Civil Rights movement. Her inspiring story takes us from Memphis, to Chicago, Washington D.C. and England. From penning editorials and publishing the first expose on the horrors of lynching, The Red Record, to touring America and Europe as a speaker and protestor, Ida B. Wells was a true crusader in the fight to preserve human rights. Her relentless public battle against the injustices of lynching won her more enemies than friends in her time, but she is remembered today as a strong woman, tireless crusader and a true American hero. Bonus Material Each program includes 24 minutes of Bonus material.

FIRST BLACK CONGRESS-WOMAN. SHIRLEY CHISHOLM born 1924 in Brooklyn, N.Y. is the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first to campaign for the Presidency. She was an outspoken advocate for women and minorities during the seven terms she served in the House. Her legacy of political and social activism laid the foundation for the rise of women and Blacks in American politics. InchOf my two InchhandicapsInch being female put more obstacles in my path than being black.Inch This program is a celebration of her life and a political diary from the 1960's through the 1970's during an era of political transition and social change. The range of Chisholm's activism is explored in depth through her involvement in civil rights, women's rights, and the anti-Vietnam War efforts. We witness the excitement firsthand of Chisholm announcing her candidacy for President with the Democratic Party in 1972, declaring she is not a representative solely of the black or female communities, but Incha candidate of the peopleInch. Though she did not win the nomination that year, she remained active in politics and served the House of Representatives until her retirement in 1982. In this inspiring program, Shirley Chisholm emerges as a charismatic leader and social reformer that achieved positive change in American politics and society for future generations. Bonus Material Each program includes 24 minutes of Bonus material.