Here at Fair Fight Action, we’re big on celebrating the achievements women have made, past and present, to create a more just world. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to honor a few amazing Black women who have paved the way for voting rights and equality, proving that women can lead the way and make history.

Fannie Lou Hamer
An activist, community organizer, and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, Hamer spent her career fighting back against systemic racism present in elections. After facing violence and intimidation as barriers to voting, she helped form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and pushed for greater racial equality in the political process. She was a key organizer of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer (this year marks its 60th anniversary!) and helped found the National Women’s Political Caucus, which remains active today.

Ella Baker
A legendary behind-the-scenes organizer, Ella Baker played a key role in some of the most influential organizations during the Civil Rights Movement — including the NAACP, Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In addition to working alongside noted leaders in the movement, Baker believed in the power of young student activists, and worked as a mentor to encourage them to become a force in the fight for civil rights.

Stacey Abrams
Voting rights champion and founder of Fair Fight Action, Stacey Abrams has been a longtime advocate fighting to make voting accessible for all eligible voters. Her work has been centered around making the voting process inclusive and ensuring the integrity of our voting process and our democracy. After serving as House Minority Leader in the Georgia legislature, she ran for Governor of Georgia and brought national attention to systemic voter suppression prevalent throughout the state. Her persistence in this movement, exemplified by the founding of Fair Fight Action, inspires us to keep up the fight.

Baker, Hamer, and the women like Leader Abrams who’ve followed in their footsteps believed that voting was one key to freedom, and that our collective voice must be heard.

The strides we’ve made in protecting the freedom to vote would not have been possible without the work of these brave activists. While we have work left to do to combat anti-democratic extremism, we know with you on our team, we’ll continue to make history.

In solidarity,

The Fair Fight Action Team 

We want to hear from you too. Is there a Black woman in your life who you’re celebrating this month? We’d love to hear all about how she’s forging the path for a more equal world. Share her story here >>