Ella Baker was born in 1903 in North Carolina. She has been called the godmother of the civil rights movement. Despite not seeking the spotlight, her work behind the scenes was critical to many successes of the early movement. Learn more about this inspiring woman in this blog post.
Discover the most inspiring quotes from Ella Baker, and much more.
I don’t think that the leadership of Montgomery was prepared to capitalize, let’s put it, on the projection that had come out of the Montgomery situation. โ Ella Baker
Even if segregation is gone, we will still need to be free; we will still have to see that everyone has a job. Even if we can all vote, but if people are still hungry, we will not be free. โ Ella Baker
Singing alone is not enough; we need schools and learning. โ Ella Baker
My theory is, strong people don’t need strong leaders. โ Ella Baker
Martin wasn’t one to buck forces too much. โ Ella Baker
One of the things that has to be faced is the process of waiting to change the system, how much we have got to do to find out who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. โ Ella Baker
Walter White] was also one of the best lobbyist of the period. โ Ella Baker
Various Statements From Ella Baker
When I came out of the Depression, I came out of it with a different point of view as to what constituted success. And that was even just even personal success. โ Ella Baker
This may only be a dream of mine, but I think it can be made real. โ Ella Baker
In order to see where we are going, we not only must remember where we have been, but we must understand where we have been. โ Ella Baker
During the Depression years, I began to identify to some extent with the unemployed, the organization for the unemployed at that period. โ Ella Baker
The struggle is eternal. The tribe increases. Somebody else carries on. โ Ella Baker
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes. โ Ella Baker
I’ve never credited myself with a professional life. But, basically, it has been that. โ Ella Baker
More Phrases From Ella Baker
Remember, we are not fighting for the freedom of the Negro alone, but for the freedom of the human spirit a larger freedom that encompasses all mankind. โ Ella Baker
Because our children had had the privilege of growing up where they’d raised a lot of food. They were never hungry. They could share their food with people. And so, you share your lives with people. โ Ella Baker
I had been friendly with people who were in the Communist party and all the rest of the Left forces, which were oriented in the direction of mass action. โ Ella Baker
I think you can find some rationales for that if we look at the background out of which he came. Martin had come out of a highly competitive, black, middleโclass background. โ Ella Baker
Redundant Thematics
In Ella Baker Statements
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freedom
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Until the killing of black men, black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s son, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens. โ Ella Baker
Strong people don’t need strong leaders. โ Ella Baker
You didn’t see me on television, you didn’t see news stories about me. The kind of role that I tried to play was to pick up pieces or put together pieces out of which I hoped organization might come. โ Ella Baker
Deeper Quotes From Ella Baker
I didn’t break the rules, but I challenged the rules. โ Ella Baker
I have always thought that what is needed is the development of people who are interested not in being leaders as much as in developing leadership in others. โ Ella Baker
Give light, and people will find the way. โ Ella Baker
Martin Luther] King was one of the two young ministersโand you know how directly oriented the Negro community still is towards the minister as the leader. โ Ella Baker
Oppressed people, whatever their level of formal education, have the ability to understand and interpret the world around them, to see the world for what it is, and move to transform it. โ Ella Baker
I guess the best way to describe that would be to connect with the fact that I came out of college just before the big Depression, and I came to New York. โ Ella Baker
How did I make a living? I haven’t. I have eked out an existence. โ Ella Baker
ELLA BAKER Quotes Take Away
Ella Bakerโs words of wisdom are as relevant today as they were during the Civil Rights Movement. We hope that these quotes have served as a source of inspiration and motivation for you to take on whatever challenges lie ahead. If youโre looking for more ways to be inspired, we suggest checking out our online courses. Our instructors are passionate about helping people learn and grow, and we think youโll find plenty of value in what they have to offer.