Six Anne Arundel County women will be lauded Sunday in Annapolis at the Fannie Lou Hamer Awards, an annual recognition named in honor of the late voting rights heroine and intended to honor those working on behalf of civil and human rights.

This year’s honorees — Lisa DeJesus, Sarah Elfreth, Yasemine Jamison, Yvette Morrow, Debbie Ritchie and MiaLissa Tompkins — join the ranks of more than 100 notable women who have received the award since its inception 22 years ago.

The award is co-sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and St. John’s College. Scheduled speakers at Sunday’s event include U.S. Rep. Paul Sarbanes and Panayiotis Kanelos, the president of St. John’s College in Annapolis.

Hamer was an American voting rights activist, civil rights leader and philanthropist — Oct. 6 marks the centennial of her birth. She was instrumental in organizing voting registration marches; in 1962, she famously began singing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “This Little Light of Mine” as a group of African-Americans tried to register to vote.

In subsequent years she was fired from her job, jailed and beaten as she led a series of similar protests. She was a major organizer of the Freedom Summer initiative in 1964, which was met with a backlash of violence that galvanized national support and helped lead to the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

This year’s winners of the award bearing her name are:

Lisa DeJesus, Annapolis — The owner of Salon DeJesus, a hair salon and barbershop. She is a former cosmetology instructor for the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system and a former member of the Pink Hatters Society. She began her career as a beautician in 1981 and opened her own salon in 1993. For the past 27 years, she has actively contributed to the annual holiday events in the Annapolis Gardens community serving over 100 children.

Sarah Elfreth, Annapolis — A Democratic candidate for state Senate in District 30, Elfreth is a former government affairs director for the National Aquarium. She has worked with universities to implement economic development plans and to revitalize local communities, all while creating 21st-century jobs.

Yvette Jackson Morrow, Annapolis — A professional with over 20 years of experience in the legal field, she is also a participant with the Anne Arundel County NAACP, which presented her with the organization’s President’s Award in 2014; the Anne Arundel County Continental Societies; and American Legion’s Cook-Pinkney Post 141 Auxiliary. She oversees fundraisers including the United Way, Walk MS and Susan G. Race for the Cure, and has raised more than $200,000 for the organizations.

Yasemine Jamison, Arnold — As a Muslim who immigrated to this country as a child, she understands the importance of equality and diversity in leadership. The founder of Anne Arundel Indivisible, Jamison works to oppose racism, sexism and hatred in the political process. She joined with the Caucus of African American Leaders and the ACLU to demand the Anne Arundel County Council chairman stop denying people the right to criticize council members at meetings. In addition, Jamison was involved with the NAACP and the caucus in their 2017 summer of protest at the county Circuit Court over the all-white bench.

Deborah Ritchie, Pasadena — A former member of the Anne Arundel Board of Education, she is running as a Democrat for the County Council in District 3. Ritchie initiated numerous community outreach programs aimed at discussing educational issues and worked to increase diversity in the Community Advisory Council. She served on both the Anne Arundel Council of PTAs and the state PTA.

MiaLissa Tompkins, Columbia — An entrepreneur and Realtor based in Columbia, she works to ensure that families of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds are able to build long-lasting ties with their communities, schools and local businesses by helping them find a home.

The awards are given each year by the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee. Proceeds go toward paying for the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers Memorial in Annapolis.

The awards reception will be held 4 to 6 p.m. at the Francis Scott Key Auditorium at St. John’s College in Annapolis. Tickets are $35 and will be available at the door. Details: 301-538-6353 or 410-419-2208 or email arankin58@hotmail.com.