Douglass Theatre to present women of impact awards, Fannie Lou Hamer play

The Douglass Theatre steps into Women’s History Month this weekend by presenting an award-winning, live stage play and the annual Central Georgia Women of Impact Awards.

On Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., the Douglass presents “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story,” a one-woman production written and performed by Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye, which weaves together music and storytelling to portray and honor the life of civil rights activist and voting rights champion Fannie Lou Hamer.

Born in 1917 in the Mississippi Delta, Hamer became a powerful, influential voice in the Civil Rights and voting rights movements and a leader in efforts to secure economic opportunities for Black people.

Growing up in poverty, she joined her sharecropper family picking cotton at age 6 and left school to work exclusively by age 12. Though in later years many looked down on her because of her limited education, at the time, her ability to read and write allowed her to serve as the plantation timekeeper.

Hamer’s accomplishments as a leader included:

— Co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) to challenge the all-white political power structure in Mississippi.

— Delivering historic 1964 Democratic National Convention testimony, exposing racial terror and voter suppression to a national audience.

— Leading voter-registration efforts across Mississippi to become one of the most influential grassroots organizers of the Civil Rights era.

— Helping to launch and organize the 1964 Freedom Summer efforts, bringing national attention and volunteers to Mississippi’s voting rights fight.

— Co-founding the Freedom Farm Cooperative, a pioneering anti-poverty and land-ownership initiative for Black families.

— Playing a key role in advancing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, using her activism and national platform to push for federal protections.

Hamer’s suffering as a Black woman spurred much of her advocacy and her accomplishments as an activist came with great cost. For example:

— She endured Southern Jim Crow racism, exploitation and lack of access to basic rights and education.

— While young, she was denied knowledge of her own voting rights, only learning at age 44 that she had the right to register.

— She survived an involuntary hysterectomy — a common abuse at the time known as a “Mississippi appendectomy” — performed without her consent while undergoing surgery for another condition.

— She was once fired from her job, evicted and economically punished for attempting to register to vote, losing her home and livelihood overnight.

— She endured physical violence, suffering arrest and beatings in a Mississippi jail in 1963, sustaining lifelong injury.

— She was frequently surveilled, threatened, harassed and in danger, such as when her home was riddled with bullets due to her voter-registration and Civil Rights leadership.

“This is a truly powerful play, remembering and honoring Fannie Lou Hamer, who was such a powerful woman and crusader for civil rights,” said Shelton Land, executive director of Douglass Theatre. “As a one-woman show featuring stories and song, Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye has created an entertaining and educational tribute worthy of Mrs. Hamer.”

Land said the presentation is the last of three in the Douglass’s Signature Playwright Series and that Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye — whose name in Swahili means “beautiful heart who sings” — is an AUDELCO Award winner, which recognizes excellence in African American theater.

The production’s Macon performances coincide with the anniversary of Hamer’s death, March 14, 1977. Admission is $25.

On Sunday at 3 p.m. is the Central Georgia Women of Impact Awards, a collaborative awards ceremony by the Douglass, the Tubman African American Museum and the Ruth Hartley Mosley Women’s Center. Attending the ceremony is free with an RSVP.

“The goal is to show our unified recognition of women — heroes doing work at the grassroots level whose names are not always lifted up,” Land said. “Each award annually honors women who’ve made an impact through their actions and attainments, and each award is a namesake award that not only honors the winners but also the women whose names they bear, someone significant to each of our organizations.”

This year’s honorees include:

— The Harriet Tubman Acts of Courage Award Honorees:
Barrie Miller Howard and Tatrabian Jackson

— The Fannie Appling Douglass Cornerstone of Culture Award Honoree:
Betty Slater

— The Ruth Hartley Mosley Beacon of Good Award Honorees:
Hattie O’Bryant and Phyllis Kitchens Thurmond

The award ceremony will be at the Douglass, with a reception following at the Tubman at 4:30 p.m. At the Douglass, there will also be an exhibit featuring Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its local Middle Georgia chapter, Epsilon Omega Omega.

Visit douglasstheatre.com for more information on these events.

The Douglass is celebrating its 105th anniversary and is in a fundraising drive, the “187 Days of Giving Campaign,” which began Feb. 17 in honor of founder Charles Henry Douglass, who was born in 1870. The theater is seeking 1,870 people who will give $18.70 in honor of Douglass. The Douglass also offers theater memberships.

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram @michael_w_pannell.