ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — There’s a new historical trail marker in Atlantic City honoring civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer, a Mississippi resident who fought for integration within the Democratic Party.
The plaque is displayed on the Atlantic City boardwalk, where Hamer — who created the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party — and others fought for racial integration at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. The party was denied entrance, but their efforts sparked progress for civil rights nationwide.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says this is the first marker for the Mississippi Freedom Trail outside his state.
“In the darkest moments of our nation’s shared history, we find sources of light in the bravery of individuals,” Reeves said.
New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way says while the ‘64 DNC didn’t go as Hamer hoped, it didn’t take too long for her to get a seat at the table.
“The convention four years later had integrated delegations. She herself was a seated delegate in 1972. May I get an amen,” Way said.
Reeves says this plaque commemorates the fight and honors those men and women who stood for freedom, as well as those who fought for civil rights.
Way hopes the millions of visitors who come to the iconic boardwalk will stop to read the story and gain a better understanding of history.