1. www.postersession.com
Birth
Annie Lee Cooper was born in Selma, Alabama on June 2,
1910.
Family
Cooper was born to Charles Wilkerson and Lucy Jones.
Along with her, there were nine other siblings.
Education
At age 14, Annie Lee Cooper dropped out of 7th grade and
moved to Kentucky to live with an older sister. She
eventually obtained her high school diploma through
night schooling.
January 1965:
The Big
Confrontation
Annie Lee Cooper:
The Woman Who Stood Her Ground
Older Annie Lee Cooper (right) holding the 1965 newspaper article of
the confrontation
Elderly Annie Lee Cooper
References
Annie Lee Cooper was
historically known for
physically defending herself
from assault by Sheriff James
G. Clark of Selma, Alabama.
1. http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0491009/bio
2. http://archive.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20
3. http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/annie-cooper
4. http://www.selmatimesjournal.com/2010/12/03/annie-cooper
5. Gaillard, Frye. “Cradle of Freedom”.
6. http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/slideshow/Vintage-photos-
MLK-and-the-Selma-Montgomery-101054/photo-7611490.php
7. http://newsnyork.com/oprah-winfreys-new-movie-selma-links-martin-
luther-king-to-todays-racial-crises-2/
8. http://myhomeimprovement.org/home-remodel/annie-lee-cooper
9. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2147
10. http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/mp/Z2IoYBe2KGMl.jpg
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-
/aaf58e1f4538caa886c98e47a08cedec9a1be516/c=101-0-821-
959&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-
/media/Montgomery/2015/01/03/B9315700660Z.1_20150103171233
_000_GCR9IA0OQ.1-0.jpg
Not giving in to weakness, Annie Lee Cooper challenged
Jim Clark further. As she was held down in cuffs, she yelled
“I wish you would hit me, you scum”. She was then hit in
the head with an echoing blow and dragged away to jail,
singing hymns such as “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross” the
entire way. There, she was charged for criminal provocation
but was soon released after 11 hours on account of Clark
threatening to kill her. It was said that Clark had been
heavily drinking and no one wanted the blood of Annie Lee
Cooper on their hands.
The Legacy Lives
Early Beginnings After being hit in the head with his billy club, Cooper
decided that enough was enough. She then punched
Sheriff Clark with enough force to send him stumbling.
Cooper was then wrestled to the ground by Clarke and
other officials and was handcuffed twice. Clark issued a
blow with his billy club to her eye that would leave her
bloody and create an image that would later circulate
newspapers.
A Familiar Name
Goals
After her initial move to Kentucky, Cooper would
eventually live and work in Pennsylvania and Ohio as
well. In all of these cities, she registered to vote. Upon her
return to Selma in 1962 to care for her ill mother, Cooper
joined the Voting Rights Movement.
Challenges
Upon her return to Selma in 1962, Annie Lee Cooper
found work as a caregiver at the Selma Rest Home. The
proprietor and her employer at the rest home was a man
by the name of Dr. Dunn. Dunn was described as an
extreme segregationist and was responsible for the firing
of Annie Lee Cooper due to her involvement in the Voting
Rights Movement.
.
Sheriff James “Jim” Clark
The confrontation occurred in 1965 as Annie Lee
Cooper stood in front of the Dallas County
Courthouse in an effort to register to vote.
That particular day in 1964, there were 300 people
lined up in an effort to register to vote. As Dr. Dunn
surveyed the line, he wrote down the names of
familiar faces. The following day, Cooper was fired
and as a result, 42 other workers of the rest home
walked off the job in protest. The scene resulted in
the firing and black listing of all of the workers for
the remainder of the year. It was not until much
later, Cooper obtained her first job since then at the
Torch Motel in Selma. This place was a gathering
area for African American Voting activists during the
movement.
Young Annie Lee Cooper
Annie Lee Cooper’s Confrontation with Clark and other deputies
Behind the Scenes
Marriage/Family Life
After her move to Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Cooper
married a miner by the name of Brad Cooper. They had no
children.
Personal Hobbies
Before her leave at age 14, Annie Lee Cooper was a
member of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Selma, AL. Upon
her return to Selma in 1962, she joined Shiloh Baptist
Church. In her older age, she moved in with friends due
to failing health, where she enjoyed watching Oprah
every evening.
Death
On November 24, 2010, Annie Lee Cooper died at
Vaughan Regional Medical Center due to her health
failure. She was 100 years old.
The Memory
Annie Lee Cooper’s legacy lives on today as she was
depicted in the 2015 film Selma by Oprah Winfrey.
Selma’s depiction of the confrontation with actress Oprah
Winfrey