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How Did the Press Treat Ida B. Wells (if at all)?


The Press and Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells was a significantly reported on journalist, but it wasn't always like that. The press was not good to her. The color of her skin and the hatred and ignorance at the time, posed quite the struggles for Wells her entire life. 

Wells was not a stranger to the repercussions of lynching and it was not until she began to outwardly and powerfully oppose lynching in Memphis, she was published. First, her investigative journalism was first published by herself in a pamphlet (Tucker). It was when two of her friends were lynched for supposedly starting a racial riot when Wells began to be incredibly active in the anti-lynching efforts of America, and started to be a published and well-know and respected journalist.

In the matter of how the press treated Wells, it was not good.

Wells was know to be able to handle a jab like any other man in the newspaper world, but it was her feminine looks that were scrutinized the most. 

In an article outlining Wells's triumphs the reader learns that there was "a woodcut engraving of [Wells], which revealed a young woman with distinctly Negroid features, the Cleveland Gazette apologized, "the picture, though an accurate likeness, hardly does her justice" to which the Memphis Free Speech added, "Iola will never get a husband as long as she lets these editors make her so hideous." The Indianapolis Freeman, however, maintained that the picture "flattered her" and told its reader "Iola makes the mistake of trying to be pretty as well as smart." "

So, the press makes a racist wooden drawing of Wells and each reporting platform takes turns adding to the horrific critique of Wells and  her appearance. There is no report of how Wells responded to this hate, probably because she did not. To Wells, everything was subject to ridicule. She was a black woman and at this time, that was unheard of to have such a strong political voice. Much less to be a female journalist at this time.

In an article about Wells and her actions and work being censored, it writes about a peculiar instance where Wells was not accredited properly. Wells co-owned and wrote for the Memphis Free Speech newspaper but was only offered one footnote to her fame and influence (Hardin). 

Wells was such an influential journalist that some say her achievements have "yet been fully acknowledged in canonical literature" (Giddings). Wells was a bold force and defended her rights and the rights of others fiercely. The press did not accept her easily, and it was not until after her death that she was respected for her journalistic work. From the late 19th century onward, Wells will be remembered for her roles as an investigative journalist, an anti-lynching leader, a feminist triumph, a historic figure for the African-American community, and so much more.







CITED WORKS:

Giddings, Paula. “Missing in Action Ida B. Wells, the NAACP, and the Historical Record.” Meridians, vol. 1, no. 2, 2001, pp. 1–17. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40338447. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.

Hardin, Robin, and Marcie Hinton. “The Squelching of Free Speech in Memphis: The Life of a Black Post-Reconstruction Newspaper.” Race, Gender & Class, vol. 8, no. 4, 2001, pp. 78–95. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41674996. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.

Tucker, David M. “Miss Ida B. Wells and Memphis Lynching.” Phylon (1960-), vol. 32, no. 2, 1971, pp. 112–122. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/273997. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.









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