Ms. Baker grew up listening to her grandmother's stories of slave revolts (her grandmother was once a slave). She went on to make a life of civil rights activism, first with the NAACP, then the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was formed at a meeting Ms. Baker organized. She became a mentor to the fledgeling organization, and helped organize SNCC's 1961 freedom rides. In 1964, Ms. Baker helped form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (the Mississippi Democratic Party was all-white). Ms. Baker worked to support and promote gender equality and local, grass-roots organizing. She inspired Sweet Honey in the Rock's "Ella's Song," which we'll hear on the March 16th edition of The Nightfly.
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dj SanguineSanguine Fromage, WERU radio personality since 2005, current host of UpFront Soul, former host of The Nightfly, Off the Wall, Enjoy Yourself, and Sound Travels. Archives
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