The Ohio State University at Newark is commissioning a sculpture to join the campus in 2024: A memorial sculpture paying tribute to Ella Baker. Ella Baker (1903-1986) was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement — the most important American social movement of the 20th century — yet has not received the recognition she deserves. As a young woman Baker declined to follow her mother’s urging to become a schoolteacher, but she was a profoundly influential leader nonetheless — a master teacher — particularly focused on empowering younger generations to trust their own judgment and forge their own paths. For these reasons, Baker is the ideal choice to be recognized on a college campus.