--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think personally, I've always felt that…" description: "\"I think personally, I've always felt that the Association [NAACP] got itself hung-up in what I call its legal successes. Having had so many outstanding..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/ella-baker-10989_achieve_i-think-personally-i-ve-always-felt-that_2969099.jpg" --- # I think personally, I've always felt that the Association… ![“I think personally, I've always felt that the Association [NAACP] got itself hung-up in what I call its legal successes. Having had so many outstanding legal successes, it definitely seemed to have oriented its thinking in the direction that the way to achieve was through the courts.” quote by Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/ella-baker-10989_achieve_i-think-personally-i-ve-always-felt-that_2969099.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/ella-baker-10989_achieve_i-think-personally-i-ve-always-felt-that_2969099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/ella-baker-10989_achieve_i-think-personally-i-ve-always-felt-that_2969099.jpg) > “I think personally, I've always felt that the Association \[NAACP\] got itself hung-up in what I call its legal successes. Having had so many outstanding legal successes, it definitely seemed to have oriented its thinking in the direction that the way to achieve was through the courts.” [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. The NAACP focused too much on legal victories, neglecting broader activism. **In simple terms:** Legal wins limited broader impact. Key Takeaway Broaden tactics beyond courts. Themes activism strategy legalism Mood critical strategic Type analytical political When to use this quote - grassroots organizing - policy advocacy - community education Key Concepts civil rights movement dynamics political science Questions to Reflect On - What other avenues can civil rights groups pursue? - How to balance litigation with community work? A Different Perspective Legal change alone may not shift society. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Naacp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naacp/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [ One of the particular things that impressed me was one visitor \[of NAACP\] - I think it was - it wasn't the Prime Minister… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/one-of-the-particular-things-that-impressed-me-was-one-visitor-of/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-believe-the-naacp-began-to-try-to-organize-parents-of-negro/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [From the Cooperative League, I suppose, with the Depression lingering as long as it did, the next step in terms of, as you call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/from-the-cooperative-league-i-suppose-with-the-depression-lingering/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [Eleanor Roosevelt fights for an anti-lynch law with the NAACP, with Walter White and Mary McLeod Bethune. And she begs FDR to say one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blanche-wiesen-cook/eleanor-roosevelt-fights-for-an-anti-lynch-law-with-the-naacp-with/) [Blanche Wiesen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blanche-wiesen-cook/) > [More people are on food stamps today because of Obamas policies than ever in history. I would like to be the best paycheck president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/more-people-are-on-food-stamps-today-because-of-obamas-policies-than/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Never again will NAACP find itself near financial ruin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kweisi-mfume/never-again-will-naacp-find-itself-near-financial-ruin/) [Kweisi Mfume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kweisi-mfume/) > [It is an honor to be awarded with such a high rating from an organization as well respected as the NAACP. I am pleased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-baca/it-is-an-honor-to-be-awarded-with-such-a-high-rating-from-an/) [Joe Baca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-baca/) > [In the 21st Century, the anti-traditional marriage community is in league with the anti-life community, and together with the NAACP and other sympathizers, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/in-the-21st-century-the-anti-traditional-marriage-community-is-in/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [Having a Republican candidate speak at the NAACP convention is like trying to build a house starting at the roof. If you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-watts/having-a-republican-candidate-speak-at-the-naacp-convention-is-like/) [J. C. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-watts/) > [If the NAACP were to impose a control of something towards all, then I would staunchly oppose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-the-naacp-were-to-impose-a-control-of-something-towards-all-then-i/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The NAACP is a wonderful organization . . . But do you realize if tomorrow morning we had complete integration, all them cats would be outta work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/the-naacp-is-a-wonderful-organization-but-do-you-realize-if-tomorrow/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [When you go to a church and you see the pastor of that church with a philosophy and a program that's designed to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/when-you-go-to-a-church-and-you-see-the-pastor-of-that-church-with-a/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Republicans think that the NAACP is the only voice in the black community. It is a voice in the black community. But it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-watts/republicans-think-that-the-naacp-is-the-only-voice-in-the-black/) [J. C. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-watts/) > [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [My life is the direct product, if you will, of the legacy of the blood, sweat and tears of the NAACP and so today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-william-brooks/my-life-is-the-direct-product-if-you-will-of-the-legacy-of-the-blood/) Cornell William Brooks ## 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. 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