The Story of Ella Baker
A CHERRY ON TOP
Margaret K. McElderry Books
(Simon & Schuster)
(pub. 6.9. 2020) 48 pages
Author: Patricia Hruby Powell
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Character: Ella Baker
Overview: "Long before the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, Ella Baker worked to lift others up by fighting racial injustice and empowering poor African Americans to stand up for their rights. Her dedication and grassroots work in many communities made her a valuable ally for leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and she has been ranked as one of the most influential women in the civil rights movement. In the 1960s she worked to register voters and organize sit-ins, and she became a teacher and mentor to many young activists." Tantalizing taste:
"All over the South
Ella made speeches
about freedom -
voting -
rights -
words straight from her heart
to the hearts of her audience.
Then she'd ask
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH?"
And something more: Patricia Hruby Powell writes in the Author's Note: "Anyone who worked for the Black Freedom Movement (or for the Women's Movement) in the 1960s knew Ella Baker. But because she worked behind the scenes and didn't care about the spotlight, nor believed in following a charismatic figure or being followed, she is less known than she should be."
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