'Scenes and Songs from FANNIE LOU'​ to Be Performed in Baltimore

Fannie Lou Hamer grew up poor, uneducated and powerless. But she didn't let that stop her. She gained a richness that cannot be measured in dollars, wisdom generated by a discerning mind, and a moral authority commanded by unfettered integrity. Many people tried to bring her down. But she stood up for herself, and carried herself with dignity. That is why she inspired the original musical Fannie Lou.

With music, lyrics and dialogue written by Felicia Hunter, the musical is a fact-based, fictional rendering of Mrs. Hamer’s struggle to attain voting rights.

Felicia’s original work relays this struggle through Mrs. Hamer’s eyes as well as through others living in her community.

In August 1962, at the age of 44, Mrs. Hamer decided she had had enough of being treated like a second-class citizen. She volunteered, along with 17 other prospective voters, to travel to the county seat to register to vote. They were turned away. In fact, for their effort their bus was pulled over by law enforcement officers on the charge that the vehicle's color was "too yellow." This didn't deter Mrs. Hamer. She kept trying, and eventually won the right to vote. Needless to say, it was a hard-fought victory. One of the repercussions of her attempt to register was being kicked out of her home by the owner, who was adamantly against voting rights for African Americans. After she gained her voting right, Mrs. Hamer determined to help other citizens exercise their rights as well. Because of that effort, she was jailed and beaten.

The musical Fannie Lou focuses on the early stages of Mrs. Hamer's social activism. “Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou” is a live concert presentation featuring selected music and dialogue from Felicia’s work. Actors and musicians are being drawn from the Baltimore community for this stellar presentation. Come see this exciting work as it makes its Maryland premiere at the Baltimore Museum of Art on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Choose from two productions beginning at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Held in the museum's exquisite, 366-seat Meyerhoff Auditorium*, the performance will be preceded by a perspective-setting talk/discussion about the historical time frame and environmental climate in which Mrs. Hamer lived.

For more information about "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou," please visit www.fannieloumusical.com or email fannieloumusical@yahoo.com. To purchase discounted 'Earlybird' tickets via Evenbrite, please click here.

*The museum is fully accessible to wheelchairs and other mobility aids.