Lola Hendricks notably impacted the civil rights movement by organizing rallies and protests in her home town, Birmingham, Alabama. Although she never made one famous speech and is hardly recognized for her contribution, there is a certain honor in being an average woman looking for the benefit of her people.

Lola Hendricks started her career working for Alexander and Company Insurance. When she went to work for the government, she built her way up from a mail room position to Social Security. Notably, she was one the first African Americans to have federal job. She stated herself in an interview with PBS that her white colleagues had been warned that if there was any racial conflict, they would be fired on the spot.

As a native of Brimingham, Alabama, Hendricks experienced the cruelty against blacks first hand. Even as a child, Lola knew things were wrong with segregation. She had always questioned segregated rules, such as sitting in the back of a bus (Fuller, Lola's daughter). In Birmingham, several bombings occurred as neighborhoods made the transition from all-white to racially mixed. She experienced the brutality and took a position as secretary for the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR). The organization was founded by Reverand Fred Shuttlesworth in 1956. Lola was primarily responsible for keeping record, organizing meetings, protests, and kept the Reverand's calendar.

Even after the Civil Rights Movement ended, her work did not stop there. Hendricks went on as an advocate through the 70s and into the 80s. She lent her knowledge during the formation of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (Faulk). Hendricks also left an impression on her children and inspired them with her strength.