Week 6, Someone else

Ida B. Wells

A prominent female journalist, Ida B. Wells rewrote women's history. Battling racism, sexism, and violence Wells used her writing skills to shed light on the unfairnesses of the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Wells started out her young life quite roughly. Born into slavery, she was the eldest of four children and after the war, her parents became active in the Reconstruction Era politics. However, on a visit to her grandmother's, Wells was informed that there was a yellow fever epidemic in her hometown which ultimately claimed the lives of both her parents and her infant brother. Left to care for the remaining siblings, Wells moved to Tennessee and continued to work as an educator.

Wells turned her attention to racism after the lynching of one of her friends. Delving into the white mob violence and lynching, she published a handful of works calling out the horrible injustices. Enraged by her writing, white people burned the printing press to the ground. Threats became so severe for Wells after a few months, she was forced to relocate to Chicago.

Wells began her activism career when she joined other black leaders and called for the boycott of such behavior.

She went on to marry a famed black lawyer, and together, their activism prospered. Her crusade with racism and lynching changed the views of the America they used to know. Persevering through such hatred, not to mention her family life troubles, Ida B. Wells will be remembered for her activism and journalism.

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