Places
The Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden in Ruleville
Where Fannie Lou Hamer is buried, what you will see at the memorial garden in Ruleville, the markers and statue there, and how to visit respectfully.
In short
The Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden is a small landscaped park on Byron Street in Ruleville, Mississippi, where Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) and her husband Perry "Pap" Hamer are buried. Her headstone carries the words "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired." The garden also holds a bronze statue of Hamer dedicated on October 5, 2012, and two historical markers. It is outdoors and free to visit.
- Location
- Byron Street, Ruleville, Sunflower County
- Buried here
- Fannie Lou Hamer and Perry "Pap" Hamer
- Statue
- Bronze, by Brian Hanlon, dedicated October 5, 2012
- Markers
- Mississippi Freedom Trail marker and a local marker
- Cost
- Free, outdoors
- Annual events
- Birthday commemorations around October 6
What is the memorial garden?
It is a small, open park in Ruleville built around the graves of Fannie Lou Hamer and her husband. Hamer was buried in Ruleville after her death on March 14, 1977, and the burial site is now the heart of the memorial garden. The photograph above, taken in July 2008, shows the curving walk, flower beds and the low headstones near the back of the lawn, with one of Ruleville's water towers in the distance.
Perry "Pap" Hamer, who drove a tractor on the Marlow plantation and stood by his wife through her years of activism, is buried beside her. Press coverage of the 2012 statue dedication noted that both rest in the garden.
What will you see there?
You will find the graves, the 2012 bronze statue of Hamer singing into a megaphone, and two historical markers nearby on Byron Street. The headstone is simple and carries the line about being sick and tired of being sick and tired. The statue, by New Jersey sculptor Brian Hanlon, stands on a marble base with photographs and quotations; read more on our statue page.
The Mississippi Freedom Trail marker, number 14 on the trail, summarizes her life: the 1962 registration attempt, her firing, her home opened to Freedom Summer workers, the 1964 convention, the 1968 delegation, the Freedom Farm, her Head Start work and her 1971 run for the state senate. A second marker, erected by the citizens of Ruleville, lists her achievements by year, including the Fannie Lou Hamer Day Care Center she founded in 1970.
How do I visit?
The garden is on Byron Street in Ruleville, east of Bishop Smith Carter Avenue, and is open outdoors at no charge. The nearest street address used for the markers is 929 Byron Street. Parking is on the street. It is an outdoor site, so plan for food, water and restrooms elsewhere in town. William Chapel, where she heard the call to register, is a few minutes away.
Please treat the garden as a grave site. Keep voices low, stay on the paths, and do not climb on the statue or markers. Visitors often leave flowers; avoid leaving anything that will blow away or damage the plantings.
When are commemorations held?
Events have been held at the garden around her birthday, October 6, and on round-number anniversaries of her death. In October 2024, WDAM reported a celebration of what would have been her 107th birthday at the Gravesite Pavilion. Dates and organizers change from year to year, so check local news in Sunflower County before you travel. Our commemoration page describes the kinds of events held in her honor.
Questions readers ask
Where is Fannie Lou Hamer buried?
In the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden on Byron Street in Ruleville, Mississippi, beside her husband Perry Hamer.
What is written on Fannie Lou Hamer's headstone?
Her name, her dates and the line most often linked with her: "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Are there events at the garden?
Yes. Community groups have held commemorations at the gravesite around her birthday, October 6, and on anniversaries of her death. WDAM reported a 107th birthday celebration at the Gravesite Pavilion on October 5, 2024.
Who maintains the garden?
The garden is a public site in Ruleville. We are not connected to the city or to any group that maintains it, so contact the City of Ruleville for questions about access or events.
Sources
- Statue of Fannie Lou Hamer unveiled in MississippitheGrio, October 11, 2012
- Fannie Lou Hamer historical marker (Freedom Trail No. 14)Historical Marker Database
- Fannie Lou Hamer, Voting and Civil Rights Pioneer (marker)Historical Marker Database
- Fannie Lou Hamer honored at Democratic National Convention and with Ruleville cancer center nameWDAM, October 3, 2024
- Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden (photograph)Steve Bott, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
We checked every date and name on this page against the sources above. If you find an error, write to contact@fannielouhamer.info.
Continue in the archive
- PlacesThe statueFacts about the bronze statue of Fannie Lou Hamer dedicated in Ruleville on October 5, 2012: sculptor Brian Hanlon, the pose, the base and the Atlantic City cast.
- PlacesRuleville guideA visitor's guide to Ruleville and Sunflower County, Mississippi, with the Hamer sites, Freedom Trail markers, distances, and the history behind them.
- PlacesWilliam Chapel churchThe Ruleville church where Fannie Lou Hamer heard SNCC's call to register in August 1962, why it opened its doors to the movement, and its Freedom Trail marker.
- Teach & rememberCommemorationsHow Fannie Lou Hamer is commemorated, from birthday gatherings at her Ruleville grave to the 2017 centennial, Freedom Trail markers and 2024 anniversaries.