Hamer was angry and hoped to change the separated system. This hope led her to become a politician. During her political life, she was most well known for her work in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. While doing this job, Hamer fought for equality in voting. Hamer received the attention of the country for her position in the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. This helped black people to be elected to national offices in Mississippi. Henry Kirksey, a black representative in national offices, said "If Fannie Lou Hamer had had the same opportunities that Martin Luther King had, then we would have had a female Martin Luther King." 