“I think, to be honest, sort of emanated from the initial work of somebody else instead of SCLC. If you take Albany; I don't know whether you recall how Albany got started. There were two little guys who went up there first. One was Cordell Hull who was then in his teens - not Cordell Hull - Cordell Reagan, who came out of the Nashville movement, and Charles Sherrod, who came out of the Richmond, Virginia, movement.”
Quote by Ella Baker
Author
Ella Baker
Ella Baker (December 13, 1903 – December 13, 1986) was a prominent African American civil rights activist known for her grassroots organizing and mentorship of young leaders. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, and raised in North Carolina, she was influenced by her grandmother's experience as a slave. Baker joined the NAACP in the 1930s, serving as a field secretary and branch director, expanding its membership across the South. She later worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), emphasizing collective action over charismatic leadership. Baker advocated for 'group-centered leadership,' empowering ordinary people and youth. Her work shaped the strategy and structure of the civil rights movement, though she often remained in the background. She died on December 13, 1986, at age 83. more