Dorie Ann Ladner, civil rights activist who fought for justice in Mississippi and beyond, dies at 81

By CHEVEL JOHNSON RODRIGUE
Associated Press

Civil rights activist Dorie Ann Ladner has died at age 81. Joyce Ladner confirms her sister died peacefully Monday after battling several health issues. Joyce Ladner tells The Associated Press that her sister fought tenaciously for the underdog and left a profound legacy of service. The Ladners helped set up a chapter of the NAACP’s Youth Council in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In college, they became members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to fight against Mississippi’s segregationist policies. In 1967, Dorie Ladner was one of the first workers to go to Natchez, Mississippi, to help people register to vote at a time when Ku Klux Klan activity was heavy.