In this speech, Ella Baker argues that oppressed people in the United States will never achieve freedom as long as those oppressed by the United States outside its borders struggle to achieve independence. The struggle for liberation is interconnected, and it will take everyone fighting for everyone—even people they do not know and may struggle to get along with.

At the beginning, Baker addresses her audience as “friends, brothers, and sisters in the struggle for human dignity and freedom.” By suggesting they share the same struggle, she builds a sense of familiarity and solidarity with her audience. Indirectly, she is saying, “You are not alone, and you are not the only person affected by this issue.” She then establishes credibility by mentioning how she has had “about forty or fifty years of struggle”—meaning she is not new to this work and has valuable knowledge on the subject.

When she explains the logic behind her argument, everything ties together. She argues that liberation from imperialism and capitalism is not something that can be achieved in a day, much less by one person. She says, “And then I had to learn that hitting back with my fists one individual was not enough. It takes organization. It takes dedication. It takes the willingness to stand by and do what has to be done, when it has to be done.” This passage is an example of anaphora, as she begins each sentence with the same phrase: “It takes.”

Throughout her speech, Baker speaks with a loud and firm voice. Given her age at the time, her ability to project her voice in such a way is impressive. She presents herself in a powerful manner, staring straight at the audience and working to hold their attention. She pauses and repeats herself at times to ensure not a single word goes unheard.

By the end, the audience roars and cheers in support of her words. They clearly appreciated both her and her message. Yet as inspired as the audience seemed, the struggle for Puerto Rican independence continues. To this day, Puerto Rico remains a territory of the United States. People born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens but cannot vote for the U.S. president. They have their own government but remain subject to American control.

Ella Baker was a female African American Human Rights Activist. Miss Baker was a very active organizer. Throughout her life, she co-founded the organization "In Friendship" which raised money to fight against Jim Crow Laws in the deep South; she helped MLK organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and probably her most impactful work was at Shaw University in North Carolina where she organized the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who were most influential in the organization of the Freedom Rides in 1961.

Puerto Rico Solidarity Rally. The rally was to show solidarity with Puerto Ricans in their fight for independence from U.S. imperialist control.