Ella Baker Research Paper

“Give light and people will find a way.” (Ella Baker). Ella Baker worked with the generation under her to fight for rights. Like her quote said, Ella would give people an idea and some guidance and they would find a way to work to end various problems, like discrimination and racism. She spent most of her life working as a social activist. She inspired and affected many. She played an important role in some of the most influential organizations of her time. Ella Baker grew up in North Carolina, where she was greatly impacted and inspired by her grandmother who was a slave. Her grandmother would tell her stories about slavery, which gave Ella a view into social justice at a young age. Ella, as class valedictorian, graduated from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. After graduating, she moved to New York City to begin her career as a social activist. She joined many social activist organizations and women’s organizations. Ella began working with the NAACP and she would spend most of her time in the south working to build …show more content…
The lunch counter stools were reserved for whites while blacks were forced to eat while standing. Four African American students decided to sit at the counter even though they were refused service. This was the start of a sit-in protest. Over the span of a couple days students from different schools participated in this protest. Baker wanted to help these students, so she left the SCLC and formed a new committee. This committee was known as the student nonviolent coordinating committee and they organized freedom rides with the help of activists. Freedom rides were similar to sit ins, they were another form of protest. The SNCC helped raise national attention to the discrimination and racism taking place in Mississippi. Baker would always encourage and guide the members of the SNCC. The SNCC became known as one of the greatest advocates for human rights in the