Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom Retention Scholarship

"Nobody's free until everybody's free."

Your donation will directly impact students of the BIPOC+ community studying at Niagara University.

The Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom Retention Scholarship was created by Niagara University Junior, Lovell Lee ‘22, in September of 2020, through funding from the Vincentian community, with the sole intent of assisting our underserved community at Niagara University. The significance of naming this fund the Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom Retention Scholarship was to bring a heightened understanding of equal opportunity and a greater comprehension of basic human rights in support of our BIPOC+ student representation on our campus. The intent of this funding is to further advance students of color to flourish while studying at Niagara University and to provide needed support to enhance both their degree completion and career development.

This scholarship will stand as a tribute to Fannie Lou Hamer’s countless work in civil rights, human decency, and equality among voting rights for both minoritized communities and women - a testimonial to her honorable work and those who support the dismantling of racism in the United States. As we move forward as a community in our understanding of the negative effects that not voting has on society, continuing Ms. Hamer’s legacy and work will circumvent the negative effects in our communities like those that impacted the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others. This scholarship is to serve those individuals.