Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement

1. Ella Baker's Early Life Shaped Her Activism

Black Baptist women encouraged an aggressive womanhood that felt personal responsibility to labor, no less than men, for the salvation of the world.

Formative Influences. Ella Baker's upbringing in rural North Carolina, deeply rooted in the Black Baptist tradition, instilled in her a strong sense of social responsibility and a commitment to community uplift. Her mother, Anna Ross Baker, a teacher and devout church worker, served as a powerful role model, emphasizing education, discipline, and service to others. Her grandmother, Josephine Elizabeth Ross, a former slave, instilled in her the value of personal and political resistance.

Religion and Activism. The Black Baptist women's missionary movement played a significant role in shaping Baker's early activism. She witnessed firsthand the power of women organizing and advocating for social change within their communities. This experience instilled in her a deep respect for the capabilities and leadership potential of ordinary people, particularly women.

Class and Community. Baker's family occupied a unique position within the black community, enjoying relative privilege while remaining deeply connected to those less fortunate. This awareness of class differences and the responsibility to serve others shaped her commitment to social justice and her later advocacy for grassroots empowerment.

2. Harlem in the 1930s: A Crucible of Radical Thought

[Harlem] is the fountainhead of mass movements. From it flows the progressive vitality of Negro life.

Political Awakening. Baker's move to Harlem in 1927 exposed her to a vibrant and diverse political landscape, where she encountered socialist, communist, and black nationalist ideologies. This exposure challenged her earlier assumptions and led her to embrace a more radical vision of social change.

Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance, a cultural and intellectual movement that celebrated black art, literature, and music, further fueled Baker's political awakening. She became involved in the Harlem library's Adult Education Committee and the Young People's Forum, where she organized discussions and lectures on social and political issues.

The Great Depression. The economic hardships of the Great Depression deepened Baker's commitment to social justice. She witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of poverty and discrimination on black communities, which led her to advocate for economic empowerment and collective action.

3. NAACP: Navigating the System from Within

We must have the “nerve” to take the Association to people wherever they are.

Joining the NAACP. In 1940, Baker joined the staff of the NAACP, where she worked as a field secretary and later as the national director of branches. This position allowed her to travel throughout the South, organizing local chapters and building a network of contacts.

Democratizing the Organization. Baker sought to democratize the NAACP by empowering local leaders and promoting grassroots activism. She believed that the organization should focus on addressing the immediate needs of black communities, rather than solely relying on legal challenges.

Challenges and Frustrations. Baker faced numerous challenges within the NAACP, including sexism, bureaucratic inertia, and a resistance to grassroots organizing. These frustrations ultimately led to her resignation in 1946.

4. Local Struggles and Global Ideologies in 1950s New York

I didn’t break the rules, but I challenged the rules.

School Reform and Police Brutality. After leaving the NAACP, Baker remained active in New York City, focusing on issues such as school reform and police brutality. She worked with local organizations to advocate for improved educational opportunities and to challenge police misconduct.

The Communist Question. Baker's involvement in local struggles occurred against the backdrop of mounting anticommunist sentiment. She had a complex and evolving relationship with the communist movement, initially working alongside communists in various campaigns but later distancing herself from the party due to its authoritarian tendencies.

Balancing Act. Baker's work in New York City during the 1950s demonstrated her ability to navigate complex political landscapes and to build coalitions across ideological divides. She remained committed to social justice while maintaining her independence and critical perspective.

5. The Complex Relationship Between Baker, King, and SCLC

In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become a part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically changed.

Joining SCLC. In 1958, Baker joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization led by Martin Luther King Jr. She served as SCLC's first executive director, helping to organize the Crusade for Citizenship, a voter registration campaign.

Divergent Views on Leadership. Baker and King had fundamentally different views on leadership. Baker believed in empowering ordinary people and fostering grassroots democracy, while King favored a more charismatic and hierarchical leadership model.

Frustrations and Resignation. Baker's frustrations with SCLC's leadership style and its limited focus on grassroots organizing led to her resignation in 1960. She felt that the organization was not fully utilizing her skills and that its top-down approach stifled local initiative.

6. SNCC: Mentoring a New Generation of Activists

The time Ella Baker spent with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the i96os was some of her most rewarding work.

Founding SNCC. In 1960, Baker played a pivotal role in the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an organization that embraced her vision of grassroots democracy and student-led activism. She served as a mentor and advisor to the young activists of SNCC, encouraging them to challenge authority and to empower local communities.

Grassroots Organizing. Baker emphasized the importance of building relationships with ordinary people and supporting their struggles for justice. She encouraged SNCC activists to live and work in local communities, to listen to their concerns, and to help them develop their own leadership skills.

Radical Pedagogy. Baker exemplified a radical pedagogy, empowering those she taught and regarding learning as reciprocal. She believed that oppressed people had the ability to understand and interpret the world around them and to move to transform it.

7. Mississippi Freedom Summer: A Turning Point

The voice that echoed most powerfully through the cavernous church where Ella Baker’s funeral was held was that of Bernice Johnson Reagon, one of Ella Baker’s political daughters and founder of the black women’s a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock.

SNCC's Work in Mississippi. SNCC's work in Mississippi during the early 1960s was some of its most challenging and rewarding. The organization faced intense resistance from white segregationists, but it also found strong support from local black communities.

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Baker played a key role in the formation of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), an alternative political party that challenged the all-white Democratic Party in the state. The MFDP's efforts to gain recognition at the 1964 Democratic National Convention exposed the hypocrisy of the national party and further radicalized the Black Freedom Movement.

Black Power. The events in Mississippi, particularly the violence and the limited success of the MFDP's challenge, contributed to the rise of black power. Baker critiqued black separatism as a narrow strategy, yet she stressed the importance of black leadership and self-determination.

8. A Radical Humanist: Baker's Enduring Legacy

In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become a part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically changed.

Radical, International, and Democratic. Baker identified with and helped advance a political tradition that is radical, international, and democratic, with women at its center. She critiqued black separatism as a narrow, dead-end strategy, yet she did not hesitate to criticize the chauvinism and racism of white colleagues in multiracial coalitions all the while stressing the importance of black leadership.

Movement Teacher. Ella Baker was a movement teacher who exemplified a radical pedagogy, similar to that of Latin American educator and political organizer Paulo Freire. She sought to empower those she taught and regarded learning as reciprocal.

Unconventional Private Life. Ella Baker's private life was as unconventional as her public one. For example, many of her political colleagues never knew that she had, at one time, been married. She deemphasized her married life, never took her husband's name, and traveled extensively over the course of her nearly twenty-year marriage.

Last updated: March 14, 2025