Disclaimer: THE ROAR FOUNDATION, INC. provides information on this web site for
educational/informational and networking purposes only! Use of any copyrighted materials must
be approved by its owner. ROAR claims no responsibility for misuse of information obtained on
this web site.
(c) copyrighted THE ROAR FOUNDATION, INC. January 2007
Last Modified June 2011
educational/informational and networking purposes only! Use of any copyrighted materials must
be approved by its owner. ROAR claims no responsibility for misuse of information obtained on
this web site.
(c) copyrighted THE ROAR FOUNDATION, INC. January 2007
Last Modified June 2011
Few people would argue against the notion that Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer
spoke truth to power and led the way by example in how to take a stand
and become a man (or woman) in the face of constant death threats as
retaliation for choices made on the road to freedom.
One such man in the making due to Hamer’s courage was Mr. Charles
McLaurin. McLaurin was a close friend and Campaign Manager of Fannie
Lou Hamer. And he is the best living source on how Mrs. Hamer became
who she was and how she transformed politics from a small rural town
called Ruleville, Mississippi.
Charles McLaurin was recruited into the civil rights movement by Mr.
Lawrence Guyot on the campus of Jackson State University when Guyot
invited him and several other young men to come to the Masonic Temple
to hear Medgar Evers and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak.
Arrested over thirty times for his involvement in the movement, McLaurin
is still active in the movement. But this leg of his life finds him in demand
to guide tours throughout the Mississippi Delta on the civil rights trail.
He is actively involved with Sunflower County Civil Rights Movement
Veterans, ROAR, other community organizations, individuals and
institutions on the importance of uplifting and shining a light on the
legacy of his good friend, Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer AND Amzie Moore.
As a member of SNCC, McLaurin and five others were sent to Ruleville,
MS to begin a voter registration drive. He hadn’t heard of Fannie Lou
Hamer at that time. During an interview with Delta Business Journal,
McLaurin recalls meeting Mrs. Hamer for the first time: “I was surprised.
Here was this fairly quiet unassuming black woman with little education
who had a courage and conviction that she was doing the right thing by
registering to vote and helping others to register". "She never backed
down.”
It was McLaurin who SNCC sent to Cascilla, MS to retrieve Mrs. Hamer and
bring her back to the Mississippi Delta. Fannie Lou was in Cascilla,
Mississippi because she was forced to quit her sharecropping job and
had no place to stay after she refused to withdraw her name from the list
of those trying to register.
Charles McLaurin is available for speaking engagements and tour guides
on the Mississippi Civil Rights Trail.
spoke truth to power and led the way by example in how to take a stand
and become a man (or woman) in the face of constant death threats as
retaliation for choices made on the road to freedom.
One such man in the making due to Hamer’s courage was Mr. Charles
McLaurin. McLaurin was a close friend and Campaign Manager of Fannie
Lou Hamer. And he is the best living source on how Mrs. Hamer became
who she was and how she transformed politics from a small rural town
called Ruleville, Mississippi.
Charles McLaurin was recruited into the civil rights movement by Mr.
Lawrence Guyot on the campus of Jackson State University when Guyot
invited him and several other young men to come to the Masonic Temple
to hear Medgar Evers and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak.
Arrested over thirty times for his involvement in the movement, McLaurin
is still active in the movement. But this leg of his life finds him in demand
to guide tours throughout the Mississippi Delta on the civil rights trail.
He is actively involved with Sunflower County Civil Rights Movement
Veterans, ROAR, other community organizations, individuals and
institutions on the importance of uplifting and shining a light on the
legacy of his good friend, Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer AND Amzie Moore.
As a member of SNCC, McLaurin and five others were sent to Ruleville,
MS to begin a voter registration drive. He hadn’t heard of Fannie Lou
Hamer at that time. During an interview with Delta Business Journal,
McLaurin recalls meeting Mrs. Hamer for the first time: “I was surprised.
Here was this fairly quiet unassuming black woman with little education
who had a courage and conviction that she was doing the right thing by
registering to vote and helping others to register". "She never backed
down.”
It was McLaurin who SNCC sent to Cascilla, MS to retrieve Mrs. Hamer and
bring her back to the Mississippi Delta. Fannie Lou was in Cascilla,
Mississippi because she was forced to quit her sharecropping job and
had no place to stay after she refused to withdraw her name from the list
of those trying to register.
Charles McLaurin is available for speaking engagements and tour guides
on the Mississippi Civil Rights Trail.
Mr. Charles McLaurin takes notes of plans
of new developments underway at The
Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden under
the leadership of Alderwoman Hattie Jordan.
of new developments underway at The
Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden under
the leadership of Alderwoman Hattie Jordan.
| Charles McLaurin, close friend and Campaign Manager of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, (right) leads crowd to Hamer grave to lay a wreath as part of the 30th Anniversary Commemoration Celebration of Hamer's home-going on March 3, 2007. The event was sponsored by The Fannie Lou Hamer Legacy Committe, an initiative of ROAR. |
| Charles McLaurin (center) helps break ground at The Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden. Left is Lawrence Guyot (MFDP) and right is Rev. Ed King October 2, 2004 |
| Charles McLaurin Fannie Lou Hamer Statue Committee |
| PHOTO COPYRIGHTS BY DAVID RUSHING |
Mr. Charles McLaurin points to himself in a
picture from the 1960's on exhibit by Tracy
Sugarman at a library in Sunflower County, MS
picture from the 1960's on exhibit by Tracy
Sugarman at a library in Sunflower County, MS
| PHOTO COPYRIGHTS BY DAVID RUSHING |
| Mr. McLaurin addresses students at Indianola Gentry High School during ROAR'S Educational Is Essential" Day October 2004 |
McLaurin facilitates a workshop at Hamer Multi-purpose Building in Ruleville, MS for The Fannie
Lou Hamer Exhibition during the 30th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, March 2, 2007.
Lou Hamer Exhibition during the 30th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, March 2, 2007.
McLaurin explains to audience at William Chapel the role of then Pastor, Rev.
J. D. Story while The Story Family looks on as does Dr. Leslie McLemore,
founder of Fannie Lou Hamer Political Institute at Jackson State University.
The late Rev. Story & William Chapel was honored and celebrated for their
role in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement on Friday, March 2, 2007 as part
of the 30th Anniversary Commemoration Celebration of the Home-going of
Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer.
J. D. Story while The Story Family looks on as does Dr. Leslie McLemore,
founder of Fannie Lou Hamer Political Institute at Jackson State University.
The late Rev. Story & William Chapel was honored and celebrated for their
role in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement on Friday, March 2, 2007 as part
of the 30th Anniversary Commemoration Celebration of the Home-going of
Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer.
| You will find details about the role Charles McLaurin played in the Civil Rights Movement in this book. |
| Mr. Charles McLaurin poses with some of the youth from The Fannie Lou Hamer Cultural Center after The Charles McLaurin Workshop in October 2006. The workshop was co-sponsored by ROAR |
| Leflore County Judge Solomon Osbourne, Lawrence Guyot, Amzie Moore, Jr. Patricia M. Thompson/ROAR and Charles McLaurin Amzie Moore Park October1, 2005 The Amzie Moore Monument was unveiled as part of the 5th Annual Amzie Moore Day sponsored by ROAR and Amzie Moore Estates Guyot and McLaurin were close friends of both Amzie Moore and Fannie Lou Hamer |
| PHOTO BY RALPH JONES |
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Charles McLaurin and
youths from Sunflower
County, MS reflect on
President Barack
Obama's historic
swearing in ceremony as
the 44th President of The
United States of America
youths from Sunflower
County, MS reflect on
President Barack
Obama's historic
swearing in ceremony as
the 44th President of The
United States of America
| Charles McLaurin has been appointed Project Director for The Fannie Lou Hamer Statue which will be located at The Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden. |
| Questions, comments or suggestions about this web site should be directed to info@fannielouhamer.info |
| McLaurin giving details to a BBC reporter for a documentary in March 2008 |
The Fannie Lou Hamer
Statue Committee is a
not-for-profit, non political
organization comprised of
local, regional and national
civil rights activists,
scholars and community
leaders who serve as
fundraising and educational
ambassadors in conjunction
with the City of Ruleville,
public, private and
individual initiatives to help
achieve the goals of the
Fannie Lou Hamer Statue
project.
The FLHSC exists solely for
the purpose of supporting
efforts to honor and pay
tribute to Mrs. Hamer by
commissioning the
construction of a full-length
statue of the civil and
human rights leader, to be
placed on permanent display
at the Fannie Lou Hamer
Memorial Garden in
Ruleville, Mississippi.
Statue Committee is a
not-for-profit, non political
organization comprised of
local, regional and national
civil rights activists,
scholars and community
leaders who serve as
fundraising and educational
ambassadors in conjunction
with the City of Ruleville,
public, private and
individual initiatives to help
achieve the goals of the
Fannie Lou Hamer Statue
project.
The FLHSC exists solely for
the purpose of supporting
efforts to honor and pay
tribute to Mrs. Hamer by
commissioning the
construction of a full-length
statue of the civil and
human rights leader, to be
placed on permanent display
at the Fannie Lou Hamer
Memorial Garden in
Ruleville, Mississippi.
National Black
United Fund
(NBUF) is our
fiscal sponsor
for the Hamer
statue project.
United Fund
(NBUF) is our
fiscal sponsor
for the Hamer
statue project.
