Fannie Lou Hamer
Obama Presidential Center Honoree
Space Name: Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway | Campus Grounds
Fannie Lou Hamer was a civil rights leader and activist known for being a powerful speaker. Her candor helped shine a national light on the everyday indignities faced by Black Americans living in a segregated society. Hamer was one of the first Black women to run for Congress, co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, and became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement—showing what dialogue, discipline, and determination can accomplish in the fight for justice.
With gratitude to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois
Legacy on Campus
Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway
The Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway blends lush plantings and stone hardscapes to provide a contemplative transition between the Library and Forum buildings. The space honors the civil rights leader who brought national attention to the indignities faced by Black Americans and demonstrated the power of determination in the fight for voting rights.
Democracy in Action Lab
The Democracy in Action Lab is a home for innovation and intellectual curiosity for emerging leaders and global changemakers making. Explore this space in the Forum, which encourages the next generation to pursue their own paths to excellence.
Meet More Honorees
Through the honoree naming initiative at the Obama Presidential Center, we are partnering with our donors to celebrate a part of the history in which the Obama story is so deeply rooted by associating a named space with a hero, moment, or person "on whose shoulders we stand"—an honoree who made the Obamas’ story possible.
Meet More Honorees