Women in the Civil Rights Movement: The Impact of Ella Baker

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April 26, 2023
The Impact of Ella Baker on the Development of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Women's Participation in the Civil Rights Movement
Women have made great strides in the quest for equality with men. There used to be a stigma associated with how women should behave in society, which has prevented some women from pursuing their true passions. For instance, women who wanted to reform this treatment have fought for years, and it has paid off. The struggle for racial equality and eliminating institutionalized racism typified the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, a crucial era in American history (Moye).
The contribution of women to the Civil Rights Movement is frequently underappreciated, despite the fact that many books have been written about the male leaders of the movement, including Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. Both in the open and in the background, women played a crucial role in the planning of demonstrations, the development of grassroots networks, and the promotion of change. In particular, this essay will highlight Ella Baker's crucial contributions to the movement, including how she helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). It will also connect the subject of women in the Civil Rights Movement and the larger idea of intersectional feminism.
Ella Baker: The Catalyst for Change
Ella Baker, a trailblazing activist born in 1903, devoted her entire life to the cause of social justice and equality (Elliott 593-603). Equality means giving women the same rights as men and preventing social stigma against them. Baker's early life in the Jim Crow South sparked her interest in action since she saw personally the devastation that racism and prejudice could cause. Accordingly, Baker joined the Young Negroes Cooperative League (YNCL) after relocating to New York City in the 1930s, where she polished her abilities as an organizer and supporter of economic justice. She can advance in her mission to promote equality thanks to the skill she has acquired.
After some time passed, Baker joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and finally worked his way up to become the director of branches (Dallard 1990). Baker overcame resistance from male coworkers who disregarded her abilities despite holding a leadership position in the company. At the time, the treatment of women had not changed significantly due to the lack of opportunities for some women from low-income families and certain cultural norms. Unfazed, she persisted in fighting for reform and pushed for a more direct method of civil rights action.
Baker collaborated with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, and she was a crucial player in that process. While the SCLC emerged as a significant player in the Civil Rights Movement, Baker disapproved of the group's top-down management style and concentration on charismatic individuals. Because they can accomplish great things when given the ability to use modern tools, she thought the movement needed to empower ordinary people to bring about change in their communities.
The Formatio...