My fight with cancer began in November 1977, when lung cancer took my father’s life.

My father, who had no education, was born, reared, and died in the rural Mississippi Delta where poverty was rampant and healthcare coverage was virtually nonexistent. During that time, when the economy was slowed and the cost of healthcare was escalating, underserved Delta residents (including my father) paid the price through reduced life expectancy and higher rates of cancer and heart disease.

On his death bed at the hospital in Clarksdale, MS, he said to me, “Freddie, you need to get a good education and use it to make a difference by helping poor people.” Since the death of my father, I have chosen to become an advocate for the underserved, as I, the daughter of a sharecropper, once was.

With God’s blessing and the support of my family, The University of Southern Mississippi, faith-based organizations, politicians, business leaders, educators, and other community leaders, we have taken the late Fannie Lou Hamer’s legacy and formed a community cancer health resource in Mississippi, known as the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation.

With the same indomitable spirit of Mrs. Hamer, we at The Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation are not letting the odds deter us from taking on a powerful foe. I too, like Ms. Hamer, know first-hand the hard life of a sharecropper, but I pray I will never experience personal loss such as hers—the physical trauma as a civil rights leader, and her painful death due to untreated breast cancer

Today, we are witnessing notable progress in combating the disease and addressing disparities among minorities through strategic partnerships involving research, public institutions, and private supporters. Although we are pleased with the promising results, we recognize that we continue to face major challenges. With your help, we can leave a lasting tribute in her memory through the work we do to reduce the rate of cancer and health disparities in Mississippi, especially in the Mississippi Delta.

Within a short distance of Mrs. Hamer’s birthplace in Ruleville, Mississippi, we have purchased two acres of land for the future headquarters of the Foundation that will also include a regional institute for the promotion of cancer awareness, education, physical activity, a healthy diet, and early detection. We have launched a $5 million capital campaign for the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation’s state-of-the art headquarters, a 10,000 square-foot building. Our determined commitment to combating the disease has made these tangible steps possible.

Will you please join me in making a commitment to fight cancer? The lives of many affected by the disease will be improved and your generosity serves as a lasting legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer, who fought for social justice for all. Every donation makes a difference, regardless of size.

Thank you in advance for your commitment to support the efforts of the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation. We remain eternally grateful for all you do to help REACH one, TEACH one, and SAVE one.

Make your tax-deductible donation to the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation today. Mail to: The Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation, Post Office Box 755, Ruleville, MS  38771.