Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement, Second Edition: A Radical Democratic Vision (Gender and American Culture) - Softcover

Ransby, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 146968134X ISBN 13: 9781469681344

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, 2024

Synopsis

One of the most important African American leaders of the twentieth century and perhaps the most influential woman in the civil rights movement, Ella Baker (1903–1986) was an activist whose remarkable career spanned fifty years and touched thousands of lives. A gifted grassroots organizer, Baker shunned the spotlight in favor of vital behind-the-scenes work that helped power the Black freedom struggle. Making her way in predominantly male circles while maintaining relationships with a vibrant group of women, students, and activists, Baker was a national officer and key figure in the NAACP, a founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and a prime mover in the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

In this definitive biography, Barbara Ransby chronicles Baker’s long and rich career, revealing her complexity, radical democratic worldview, and enduring influence on group-centered, grassroots activism. Beyond documenting an extraordinary life, Ransby paints a vivid picture of the African American fight for justice and its intersections with other progressive struggles worldwide throughout the twentieth century.

About this title

About the Authors

Barbara Ransby is John D. MacArthur University Chair and Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Black Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, and History at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she directs the Social Justice Initiative. A longtime activist in progressive social movements, her most recent book is Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the Twenty-First Century.

Robin D. G. Kelley is Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Chair of History at the University of California Los Angeles.

Edition details

• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 146968134X
• ISBN 13: 9781469681344
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 512