Annie Devine

Annie Devine was born in Canton, Mississippi. She graduated from Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. Devine was an insurance executive who became increasingly interested in, and committed to, the struggle for civil rights. Her determination and desire to initiate resistance to the status quo mark her as a unique and fighting spirit. Devine also worked as a volunteer with the Head Start program in Mississippi.

Civil Rights Era

Annie Devine co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) with Fannie Lou Hammer and Victoria Gray Adams. This party, unlike the Democratic Party, included blacks throughout Mississippi and invited their participation in the political process. The party sought to gain seats as part of the Mississippi delegation for the 1964 National Democratic Convention. By joining the delegation, they hoped to replace Mississippi politicians who had gained access to the Convention delegation namely through corrupt voting procedures. Devine, Hamer and Adams were the first black women to sit on the Floor of the House of Representatives when they made their accusations to the House about Mississippi's discriminatory voting practices. Though the party did not get seats at for the Convention, they did successfully pressure the national government. President Johnson responded to their claims and actions, as well as those of other civil rights leaders and participants by signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Bibliography

Information for this biography was gathered from the following sources:

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