The civil rights leader known for co-founding the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee is Ella Baker. She played a crucial role in organizing student activists during the civil rights movement, emphasizing grassroots and direct action. Baker believed in the power of youth leadership and collective decision-making, challenging traditional, top-down approaches to organizing within the movement. Her work with SNCC mobilized thousands of young people in the fight for racial equality and social justice, advocating for voter registration, sit-ins, and other nonviolent protests. Baker’s legacy continues to inspire activism and community organizing today.