Fannie Lou Hamer had a voice and presence that was unforgettable. She was a straight-shooter. Her speeches on voting and civil rights during the 1960s left people forever changed, and her Biblical righteousness hit a tender spot in her audiences that made her message of equal rights that much more poignant.

The sad thing is, in a world of history dominated by men, I don’t remember learning much, if anything, about her while growing up. That’s why when I heard about “The Power of 1ne”, a one woman show about the activist and the 11 people who influenced her, I was very intrigued.

This past summer, Charleston-based actress Donna Lee Williams brought Hamer’s life and struggles to the stage at the Spoleto Festival when she performed this one-woman show that she wrote herself. The Charleston City Paper called the performance “well-acted and educational,” which are two of the most important pieces in telling a story of injustice that has perhaps been unjustly kept in the shadows of history books. Williams is doing the world a favor by thoughtfully presenting the life of this renowned and respected leader who was a key leader in organizing the Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and attended the 1964 Democratic National Convention as Vice Chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

On Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9, Williams will perform the play at ARTworks in the Beaufort Town Center, 2127 Boundary St. Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. with tickets available for $17, $12 for students older than 13, $7 for children, and $12 for groups of 10 or more. For more information, click here or call (843) 279-2787.