What was Ella Baker's influence on grassroots leadership within the Civil Rights Movement?

• A. She served as a national figurehead with limited involvement in local organizing.
• B. She focused on international diplomacy to promote civil rights worldwide.
• C. She mentored young activists, helped organize SNCC, and emphasized local leadership and participatory democracy.
• D. She led religious revival movements to advance civil rights.

Answer: (C)

Grassroots empowerment and participatory leadership define Ella Baker's influence. She believed the movement would endure if power and decision-making rested with local communities and the people actually doing the work. Baker mentored young activists, helped organize the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and pushed for democratic processes that let ordinary participants shape campaigns, from sit-ins to voter registration drives. This bottom-up approach contrasts with relying on a single national figurehead, and it aligns with her emphasis on training, local leadership, and collective action to advance civil rights. The other options miss this focus on empowering local organizers and participatory decision-making.