Sallie Mae Hadnott

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Sallie Mae Hadnott (July 3, 1920 – April 20, 1991) was an American civil rights activist who led voter-rights work in Autauga County, Alabama. She served as the chair of the Autauga County branch of the NAACP and ran for political office with the National Democratic Party of Alabama (NDPA). She played a key role in gaining ballot access for the NDPA and fought to expand voting rights.

Hadnott was born in Montgomery County, Alabama. Her family was very poor, and she had limited schooling, walking long distances to school and dropping out at age seventeen. In 1939, she married James O. Hadnott and, together, they ran a farm and raised eight children.

Her early attempts to vote were blocked, and after the Voting Rights Act of 1965, she worked with the NAACP to promote Black voter registration. She also helped challenge discriminatory practices, once prompting the firing of a federal examiner who advised officials to challenge hundreds of newly registered Black voters.

Hadnott’s first political campaign was for the Autauga County Board of Revenue in 1968, though she withdrew after absentee ballots were sent. In 1970, she ran for Alabama Secretary of State as an NDPA candidate and received about 14% of the vote. She also ran in the 1980 U.S. Senate election in Alabama, though she won less than 1% of the vote. She served as the NDPA’s chair for Autauga County in the early 1970s.

In 1968, Hadnott filed a lawsuit against Autauga County’s education board and commission, arguing that districts were unfairly drawn. The case contributed to a broader effort that helped the NDPA gain ballot access; the Supreme Court later ruled that candidate names should appear on the general election ballot, and the NDPA candidates were certified for the ballot in the 1968 elections.

Hadnott helped integrate Autauga County High School, ensuring Black students could attend the newly integrated school. She testified before the U.S. Commission of Education in 1968 about the challenges in implementing desegregation laws. She also hosted a visit from then-Senator Walter Mondale in 1970, listening to Black children discuss their experiences with threats and harassment.

Her work earned her recognition as a civil rights leader in Prattville and Autauga County. A street in Prattville was renamed in her honor in 2021, and she was later honored by Central Alabama Community College in 2025. Sallie Mae Hadnott passed away in Prattville, Alabama, at the age of 70.