--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had known, number one, that there would…" description: "\"I had known, number one, that there would never be any role for me in the leadership capacity with SCLC. Why? First, I'm a woman. Also, I'm not a minis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/ella-baker-10989_barometer_i-had-known-number-one-that-there-would_2816977.jpg" --- # I had known, number one, that there would never be any… ![“I had known, number one, that there would never be any role for me in the leadership capacity with SCLC. Why? First, I'm a woman. Also, I'm not a minister. And second, I am a person that feels that I have to maintain some degree of personal integrity and be my own barometer of what is important…” quote by Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/ella-baker-10989_barometer_i-had-known-number-one-that-there-would_2816977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/ella-baker-10989_barometer_i-had-known-number-one-that-there-would_2816977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/ella-baker-10989_barometer_i-had-known-number-one-that-there-would_2816977.jpg) > “I had known, number one, that there would never be any role for me in the leadership capacity with SCLC. Why? First, I'm a woman. Also, I'm not a minister. And second, I am a person that feels that I have to maintain some degree of personal integrity and be my own barometer of what is important and what is not.” [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She rejected leadership roles due to gender, religious status, and personal integrity, emphasizing authentic self‑valuation over imposed titles. **In simple terms:** She chose integrity over seeking leadership positions. Key Takeaway Value personal integrity above external titles. Themes gender bias integrity leadership civil rights self‑respect Mood determined inspirational Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - activism - career advancement - organizational politics - community organizing Key Concepts intersectionality ethical leadership personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you define leadership for yourself? - What values guide your decisions? A Different Perspective Leadership can also be exercised without formal titles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barometer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barometer/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Ministers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ministers/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Personal integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-integrity/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Role](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role/) [Role Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-leadership-780639/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Sclc Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sclc-woman-3560815/) ## Related quotes > [The real role of leadership in education ... is not and should not be command and control. The real role of leadership is climate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-role-of-leadership-in-education-is-not-and-should-not-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I definitely will take the role on being in leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavon-austin/i-definitely-will-take-the-role-on-being-in-leadership/) [Tavon Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavon-austin/) > [The quarterback position is a role of leadership, and I feel just who I am as a person, I bring different types of leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-trubisky/the-quarterback-position-is-a-role-of-leadership-and-i-feel-just-who/) [Mitchell Trubisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-trubisky/) > [The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ghosn/the-role-of-leadership-is-to-transform-the-complex-situation-into/) [Carlos Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ghosn/) > [I take the role of leadership as the most important job I have. Yes, it's the passes and all the different things you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-rivers/i-take-the-role-of-leadership-as-the-most-important-job-i-have-yes-it/) [Philip Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-rivers/) > [It has become dramatically clear that the foundation of corporate integrity is personal integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-dipiazza/it-has-become-dramatically-clear-that-the-foundation-of-corporate/) [Samuel DiPiazza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-dipiazza/) > [The terrible thing is that one cannot be a Communist and not let oneself in for the shameful act of recantation. One cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milovan-ilas/the-terrible-thing-is-that-one-cannot-be-a-communist-and-not-let/) [Milovan ?ilas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milovan-ilas/) > [Without self-discipline, a noncommissioned officer can never develop or maintain personal integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-l-copeland/without-self-discipline-a-noncommissioned-officer-can-never-develop/) [Silas L. Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-l-copeland/) > [This is the most important thing I will ever say to you. The human mind is the ultimate testing device. You can take all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/this-is-the-most-important-thing-i-will-ever-say-to-you-the-human/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It is also the state of being whole or complete. Personal integrity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carlyle/integrity-is-the-quality-of-being-honest-and-having-strong-moral/) [David Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carlyle/) > [“To many an upright poor person, it seems needless to invent a god who will wash the feet of beggars and exalt those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-many-an-upright-poor-person-it-seems-needless-to-invent-a-god-who/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [People whose lives are not balanced by a healthy love of money suffer from an appalling obsession with personal integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-setterfield/people-whose-lives-are-not-balanced-by-a-healthy-love-of-money-suffer/) [Diane Setterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-setterfield/) > [Personal integrity in Achilles achieves the form and authority of immanent divinity, with its inviolable, lonely singleness, half repellent because of its almost inhuman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-h-whitman/personal-integrity-in-achilles-achieves-the-form-and-authority-of/) [Cedric H Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-h-whitman/) > [“I look for three things in hiring people. The first is personal integrity, the second is intelligence, and the third is a high energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/i-look-for-three-things-in-hiring-people-the-first-is-personal/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) ## More by 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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/in-order-to-see-where-we-are-going-we-not-only-must-remember-where-we/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [The major job was getting people to understand that they had something within their power that they could use, and it could only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/the-major-job-was-getting-people-to-understand-that-they-had/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [After the '57 initial meeting - I was up this way working, not as a staff person - there became the need for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/after-the-57-initial-meeting-i-was-up-this-way-working-not-as-a-staff/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [My theory is, strong people don't need strong leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/my-theory-is-strong-people-don-t-need-strong-leaders/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/oppressed-people-whatever-their-level-of-formal-education-have-the/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I went to what is known as, and was at that time, too, Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. In fact, because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-went-to-what-is-known-as-and-was-at-that-time-too-shaw-university/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [Strong people don't need strong leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/strong-people-don-t-need-strong-leaders/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [His name was Michael R. Ross. I've never known what the "R" was for. He died, however, before I was 7. But he and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/his-name-was-michael-r-ross-i-ve-never-known-what-the-r-was-for-he/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-guess-the-best-way-to-describe-that-would-be-to-connect-with-the/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-had-been-friendly-with-people-who-were-in-the-communist-party-and/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [ I didn't have any close relationship with him because, although \[William Edward Burghardt\] DuBois may not have been as egocentric - I don't know… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-didn-t-have-any-close-relationship-with-him-because-although/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [ \[Walter White\] was also one of the best lobbyist of the period. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/walter-white-was-also-one-of-the-best-lobbyist-of-the-period/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I think, to be honest, sort of emanated from the initial work of somebody else instead of SCLC. If you take Albany; I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-think-to-be-honest-sort-of-emanated-from-the-initial-work-of/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/we-who-believe-in-freedom-cannot-rest-until-it-comes/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I didn't break the rules, but I challenged the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-didn-t-break-the-rules-but-i-challenged-the-rules/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) [Explore all 62 Ella Baker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) ## More Barometer quotes > [As I and the rest of my Pittsburgh Steelers teammates prepared that week in late December 1974, we knew one thing: The road to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-greene/as-i-and-the-rest-of-my-pittsburgh-steelers-teammates-prepared-that/) [Joe Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-greene/) > [This sentiment of self-contempt is a frequent one in young people of both sexes. Their valuation of themselves varies as much as the barometer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphry-davy/this-sentiment-of-self-contempt-is-a-frequent-one-in-young-people-of/) [Humphry Davy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphry-davy/) > [My body and its condition are a barometer that is always trying to tell me which direction to go for my maximum creativity, health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/my-body-and-its-condition-are-a-barometer-that-is-always-trying-to/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [I can assure you that everyone that talks to me doesn't share my views. I seem to be a barometer of public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-bernardi/i-can-assure-you-that-everyone-that-talks-to-me-doesn-t-share-my/) [Cory Bernardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-bernardi/) > [The barometer that shows "variable" is an ironic indictment of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-bergam-n/the-barometer-that-shows-variable-is-an-ironic-indictment-of-god/) [Jose Bergamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-bergam-n/) > [“Dignity is pride’s barometer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/dignity-is-pride-s-barometer/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [The audience is the barometer of the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/the-audience-is-the-barometer-of-the-truth/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [Day by day. No yesterdays and no tomorrows. The barometer never changes, the flag is always at half-mast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/day-by-day-no-yesterdays-and-no-tomorrows-the-barometer-never-changes/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Jazz is a good barometer of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duke-ellington/jazz-is-a-good-barometer-of-freedom/) [Duke Ellington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duke-ellington/) > [No matter how you feel about your extended family or family gatherings you will be attending. This is because now the ultimate reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/no-matter-how-you-feel-about-your-extended-family-or-family/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Children, like dogs, have so sharp and fine a scent that they detect and hunt out everything--the bad before all the rest. They also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/children-like-dogs-have-so-sharp-and-fine-a-scent-that-they-detect/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [If we were to use the success of 'Need You Now' as the barometer for every other song, then we'll probably be highly disappointed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kelley/if-we-were-to-use-the-success-of-need-you-now-as-the-barometer-for/) [Charles Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kelley/) > [When there's something that impacts a family member or friend, that is difficult for them, you want to do what you can to help.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/when-there-s-something-that-impacts-a-family-member-or-friend-that-is/) [Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/) > [Since when was the stock market an accurate barometer of anything?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hailey/since-when-was-the-stock-market-an-accurate-barometer-of-anything/) [Arthur Hailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hailey/) > [When you run a company, you need to be pretty open-minded. There are a lot of different views on faith, on religion, on many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-run-a-company-you-need-to-be-pretty-open-minded-there-are-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 94 Barometer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barometer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had known, number one, that there would never be any role for me in the leadership capacity with SCLC. Why? First, I'm a woman. Also, I'm not a minister. 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