Discuss the role of Ella Baker in the Civil Rights Movement.

Ella Baker played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, serving as a key organiser and strategist for various influential groups.

Ella Baker's contribution to the Civil Rights Movement was significant and multifaceted. Born in 1903, she dedicated her life to fighting for equality and justice, working tirelessly behind the scenes to organise and strategise for some of the most influential groups of the era. Her work was instrumental in the success of the movement, and her influence can be seen in many of its key moments.

Baker began her activism in the 1930s, working with the Young Negroes Cooperative League to promote economic cooperation among African Americans. However, it was in the 1950s and 1960s that her work really came to the fore. She served as the director of branches for the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), where she worked to decentralise the organisation and empower local activists. This was a theme that would continue throughout her career - a belief in the power of ordinary people to effect change, rather than relying on charismatic leaders.

In 1957, Baker moved to Atlanta to help Martin Luther King Jr. establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As its first executive director, she was instrumental in shaping the organisation's focus on nonviolent direct action. However, she often clashed with King and other male leaders over their top-down leadership style, which she felt sidelined grassroots activists.

Perhaps Baker's most significant contribution came in 1960, when she helped to organise the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The SNCC was a major force in the Civil Rights Movement, leading sit-ins, freedom rides, and voter registration drives across the South. Baker's influence was key in shaping the SNCC's participatory democracy model, which emphasised the power of collective action and the importance of listening to and empowering local communities.

Baker's work was often overlooked in favour of more visible leaders, but her influence was profound. Her belief in the power of ordinary people and her commitment to grassroots organising shaped the course of the Civil Rights Movement and continues to inspire activists today. Her legacy is a testament to the vital role that women and grassroots activists played in the struggle for civil rights.