Baker was a key figure in the civil rights movement, working with the NAACP, founding the SCLC, and influencing the SNCC. Born in 1903, she was an activist, organizer, and educator until her death in 1986.

Ella Baker's mother, who was active in her local church and instilled in her children the importance of being "race-ambassadors" for the black community.

A prominent leader in the civil rights movement, known for his dynamic preaching and pivotal role in events like the March on Washington. He was a founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), where Baker also worked.

A key figure in the civil rights movement known for his work with the SNCC’s Freedom Rides and facing discrimination as both a black and gay man. He collaborated with Ella Baker and Stanley Levison.

A Jewish lawyer who was involved in the civil rights movement, working with Ella Baker and Bayard Rustin to form the In Friendship group to support activists in the South.

A white couple who founded the Southern Conference Education Fund and supported civil rights work. They collaborated with Baker on projects such as Freedom Schools.

A civil rights activist from Mississippi known for her direct action in voting rights and her prominence in speaking at rallies and events, despite facing violence and intimidation.

Leaders in the Birmingham civil rights movement as founders of the ACMHR, working on voting rights campaigns and enduring significant violence, including a firebombing.

A politician and activist who was a founding member of SNCC and played a crucial role in the Selma voting marches and the Freedom Summer protests alongside Baker and others.

The head of the NAACP who often clashed with Ella Baker over her field organizing approach. He eventually considered removing her from the organization.

A journalist who initially embraced socialism but later rejected it, his home was a hub for Harlem intellectuals, where Ella Baker was involved.

Ella Baker’s husband, who pursued his own quiet activism and maintained a low profile during the time Baker was monitored by the FBI.

A black college student who became a prominent voice and founding member of the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee during the 1960s.

A Baltimore-based preacher who briefly led the SCLC but resigned, leaving Baker to address gaps in organizing initiatives like the Crusade for Citizenship.

A philosopher and activist involved in a notable 1970 legal case. Ella Baker supported the movement to free Davis during her prosecution for capital felonies.