Annie Bell Robinson Devine

Annie Bell Robinson Devine (1912–2000) was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. From Canton, Mississippi, Devine began meeting with other blacks in Canton to discuss civil rights issues. She eventually quit her job selling insurance to work full-time for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). In 1964, Devine joined Fannie Lou Hamer and Victoria Gray Adams to become the first black women to speak before the United States House of Representatives. The three were elected state representatives for the progressive Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Devine helped found the party, and was a member of its delegation to the 1964 Democratic National Convention in New Jersey.