The Fannie Lou Hamer Scholarship Fund for Disabled Theologians of Color supports disabled theologians of color in reaching their educational goals and engaging in theological work. By supporting these theologians, this scholarship will enrich the church through increased awareness of the intersections of race and disability in theology.

Fannie Lou Hamer was an African American voting rights activist, community organizer, and civil rights leader. A strong advocate for racial and economic justice, she helped organize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which aimed to challenge the all-white Democratic Party in the state. She helped found the Freedom Farm Collective, a community organizing group seeking to promote economic independence for African American farmers. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Ms. Hamer advocated for freedom for all, especially African Americans and women.

Hamer's faith informed her activism. Raised by a Baptist preacher, she had extensive knowledge of the Bible, especially those sections focused on justice and freedom. Her speeches often featured Biblical references and imagery, and her faith was essential in confronting her hardships.

Fannie Lou Hamer lived with disabilities, including post-polio syndrome, health problems from an unconsented hysterectomy, and the traumatic effects of police beatings that left her with a limp. She lived in poor health during her last few years and died at fifty-nine from breast cancer and hypertension complications.
The UCC Disabilities Ministries Board believes that the contributions and perspectives of disabled people of color are necessary to the work of disability theology.

This scholarship will support those who, like Hamer, live at the intersection of racism and ableism—those who incorporate theology and religion into their struggle for justice. We seek to recognize the importance of the work done by these theologians and to ease some of the burdens they face.

About United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries
UCC Disabilities Ministries (UCCDM) envisions a world in which all people are included in the fullness of life because they are created in the image of God. We believe that all people deserve welcome, access, and belonging and that their many markers of identity, including race and disability, are part of the beautiful diversity of the body of Christ. Our mission is to help all church settings become Accessible to All. We address the particular access barriers encountered by Persons with Disabilities. Still, we know that because of intersectional oppression, marginalized people face more access barriers than those who are not. If we wish to address all barriers to access, we must pay attention to intersectionality, especially the intersection of disability and race.
For further information about UCCDM, please visit us at www.uccdm.org or our Facebook page.

You can also mail a check payable to the United Church of Christ, PO BOX 71957 Cleveland, OH 44194. Please note “Fannie Lou Hamer Fund” in the memo section on your check.

Donation Information
Amount:	. $ 1,000.00 . $ 500.00 . $ 250.00 . $ 100.00 . $ 50.00 Other $     *
Designation:	Fannie Lou Hamer Scholarship/Disabilities Ministry Donor-Covered Transaction Fee