Believe Quote by Ella Baker
“I believe, the NAACP began to try to organize parents of Negro children to file petitions with the boards of education regarding the integration of the school system. You had some very severe economic reprisals against people in Mississippi and in South Carolina. So, in order to try to help to meet some of the physical needs and the economic needs of people in Clarendon County [SC] who had been displaced from the land, and otherwise, and in certain sections of Mississippi, we organized in New York City something called "In Friendship".”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Civil Rights Organizing Meeting, 1962
Baker describes grassroots efforts to support displaced families and organize civil‑rights petitions, highlighting economic and educational struggles.
In simple terms: Grassroots organizing helped displaced families and school integration.
Key Takeaway
Support community organizing.
Themes
civil rights
grassroots
economic justice
education
Mood
determined
hopeful
Type
historical
activist
When to use this quote
- community meetings
- policy advocacy
- historical research
Key Concepts
social movement theory
community empowerment
Questions to Reflect On
- How can modern movements learn from this?
- What resources are essential?
A Different Perspective
Organizing faces resource limits and political resistance.
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