Ella Baker was my name and civil rights was my game.
Equality for all, that was what I wanted,
And that is what I would work for my whole life.
I learned from my grandmother's stories about her life as a slave,
And that is when it began, my want for social justice.
I went to school like everyone else,
But I did not follow all of the rules.
In college I challenged every school policy I thought was unfair,
And it didn't stop there.
After I graduated as valedictorian I moved to New York City
Where I joined numerous social activists groups.
I knew I wanted to spend my life working to get equal rights for everyone.
I was inspired by Miss Rosa Parks and her bus boycott.
I then co-founded my organization In Friendship,
Its purpose to fight against the Jim Crow Laws in the South.
I believed that the future lied in our young people.
I wanted to help the upcoming young activists in our country.
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was born.
Nonviolence seemed to work well for us,
We joined with activists from the Congress of Racial Equality
And together we organized the Freedom Rides.
Was I crazy?
Maybe, but I wasn't done yet.
Getting the right to vote was next on my agenda,
I believed that voting was a key to gaining freedom.
Working with the younger generation,
Not only helped the civil rights movement,
It helped me realize my dream.
Many people consider me to be an influential leader,
But the truth is,
I could have never done it alone.