We often celebrate the most visible leaders of the Civil Rights Movement - Dr. King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks. Behind many of them stood Ella Jo Baker — an organizer’s organizer who believed in building power from the ground up.
Ms. Baker wasn’t interested in building celebrity leaders. She helped catalyze the student movement that became SNCC, urging young activists to be their own force.
Her philosophies changed my life and informed my work as an organizer. Watch the video above to learn about the blueprint Baker left us.
