The transformational leadership of Ella Baker

A transformational leader…. Develops followers skills Creates personal identification Motivates followers Sources: northouse, burns, bass, house

Ella Baker is a transformational leader

Group centered leadership Anti elitist politics Work with NAACP and challenges to their leadership style during the 40s Work with Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and challenges to their

leadership style during the 50s Work with Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) guidance and development

during the 60s Sources: ransby, payne, elliot

Development of Ella Baker’s leadership style

Christian missionary culture Familial influence NY Harlem renaissance, leftist radicalism George schulyer cooperative Sources ransby, payne, Elliot

Ella Baker and the NAACP

Field secretary work (danger, promotion of mass mobilization clash with NAACP policy) Conflict with NAACP headquarters

o Baker’s orientation towards local empowerment and minimization of bureaucracy vs. NAACP leadership orientation towards litigation and centralization of power talented tenth class elitism

Promotion to Director of brancheso Selection conveyed authoritarian culture

Ego of walter whiteo Continued lobbying for local empowermento 1944 leadership conferenceo 1946 resignation

Work with NYC branch of NAACPo Organizing around education content of curriculum and education in 1956

Sources: ransby, Elliot, payne

Creation In Friendship and the formation of the SCLC

Formed by Stanley Levison, Bayard Rustin and Ella baker and representatives from other religious, political, labor groups to help support and protect activists from reprisals

o Through In Friendship’s support of activists in the Montgomery bus boycott

particularly attempts to establish long term mobilization after the boycott grew the SCLC

SCLC

Emergence of MLKo Baker’s transformational group centered leadership vs. MLK’s charismatic

leadership Gender differences w/in The Black Church as impetus for different

leadership styles and sexismo Clashes with SCLC policy

Highlander folk school Labor studies, union training, civil rights training

United Christian Movement (Shreveport, Louisiana) Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (Birmingham,

Alabama) Southern Conference Education fund (SCEF)

Tied to socialists/red baitingo Inconsistency due to involvement in purges and support

of certain leftist Politics of respectability

Class politics Violation of gender roles

o Marital status

Religious bias (not Christian enough) June 5th 1959 speech

o Resignation from SCLC

SNCC

Growth out of the sit-in movemento Spontaneous action grassroots action

o Baker organized and influenced The Southwide Student Leadership

Conference on Nonviolent Resistance to Segregation From this conference grew SNCC

Efforts to protect autonomy of students from NAACP and SCLC

Role as advisor and logistic work Great respect afforded to her by SNCC workers

o Development of Bob Moses

o Development of Jane Sembridge

o Camaraderie

Planting and Cultivation metaphor Only advised did not control

Prevented a split into factions Bayard Rustin incident

SNCC Actionso Direct action “Shock troops”

o Commitment to mass action

Fayetteville County NAACP politics of respectability vs.

SNCC mass action Freedom Riders MFDP

Ella’s Legacy (summary and conclusion)

Work extended well over the 30 years discussed Philosophy of transformational group centered leadership carried forward by

groups such as the black panther party Fulfills the standards of transformational leadership