Ella Josephine Baker was an example of how much a person could accomplish if getting public credit wasn't their goal.
Ms. Baker was an instrumental figure in the development of the NAACP, the SCLC, SNCC, and CORE. Her brilliance and uncanny ability to affirm and grow the gifts of "ordinary" people ultimately gave the world everything from the Freedom Rides to John Lewis to the seating of minority and woman delegates at the Democratic National Convention.
How then is it possible that so few people have ever heard of her? Well, in addition to the complicated ways in which sexism played out in many movements in the 20th Century, Ms. Baker deeply desired to see the Civil Rights movement experience its most deep and lasting success by leaning into the power of collective action that didn't make anyone in particular famous, or place any one person in charge.
"You didn't see me on television, you didn't see news stories about me. The kind of role that I tried to play was to pick up pieces or put together pieces out of which I hoped organization might come. My theory is, strong people don't need strong leaders."
For cookie purposes, we decided to remix our ever celebrated sugar shortbread recipe and use it to make a dessert celebrated both in Virginia (her birthplace) and North Carolina (where she was reared, taught to advocate for injustice, was educated, and where her mentorship of the students in the lunch counter sit-in movement gave birth to SNCC).
The cookie is, technically, very simple. Chopped pecans, butter, sugar, eggs, real vanilla, a sprinkle of salt, organic flour (that's literally all of the ingredients). Oh, but it is something beautiful. For beauty does not require fancifulness. This is the glory of work done well.
Sold by the half dozenÂ
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