Ella Baker was a highly influential African American civil rights activist and organizer in the 20th century. Born on December 13, 1903, in Norfolk, Virginia, Baker dedicated her life to fighting for racial equality and social justice. She played a key role in some of the most important civil rights organizations and movements of her time.

Baker began her activism in the 1930s, working with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and later with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She is perhaps best known for her work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which she helped found in 1960. Baker believed in empowering young people to take the lead in the struggle for civil rights and encouraged grassroots organizing and direct action.

Baker believed in the power of collective action and grassroots organizing, emphasizing the importance of community-based leadership and decision-making. She was a mentor and organizer for many young activists, including future leaders like Stokely Carmichael and Bob Moses.

Ella Baker's legacy in Black history is significant as she helped shape the civil rights movement and influenced generations of activists to come. Her commitment to grassroots organizing and her belief in the power of ordinary people to create social change continue to inspire activists today. Ella Baker passed away on December 13, 1986, but her impact on the fight for racial justice lives on.