Ida B. Wells-Barnett: A Fearless Dark Journalist Too Anti-Lynching Crusader

Photo: Ida B. Wells Barnett (b. July 16, 1862 – d. March 25, 1931)

Ida B. Wells was born inward Holly Springs, Mississippi on born July 16, 1862 together with would cash inward one's chips a fearless anti-lynching crusader together with renowned African American journalist inward the Americas.

IDA B. WELLS IN MEMPHIS

Wells attended Rust College together with Fisk University earlier coming to learn inward the Memphis world schoolhouse system. While inward Memphis, Wells wrote for the Free Speech weekly newspaper. She was besides an avid diarist inward her early on years together with Miriam DeCosta-Willis edited some of her diary writings every bit The Memphis Diaries of Ida B. Wells (Beacon Press, 1995). In 1891, Wells was banned from educational activity amongst the Memphis world schools because her articles spoke out against racial injustices together with to a greater extent than peculiarly the lynching epidemic.

Wells became editor of the Free Speech paper inward Memphis together with began her anti-lynching activism, specifically challenging the notion that Black men were beingness lynched because they raped white women. Reacting against an unwrap she wrote nearly the activities of a lynch mob, the Memphis printing offices of the Free Speech were torched together with Ida was threatened amongst lynching. Wells fled Memphis for New York together with worked on the staff of the New York Age paper edited yesteryear T. Thomas Fortune.

IDA B. WELLS BARNETT IN CHICAGO

Photo: Ida B. Wells Barnett's dwelling inward Bronzeville, Chicago, Illinois;
Address: 3624 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.; Year Built: 1889

In 1895, Wells married attorney together with Chicago paper possessor Ferdinard Barnett. Her political together with social activism continued inward Chicago. At the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, she together with Frederick Douglass campaigned for the institution of a pavilion to honour the accomplishments of Black Americans. She wrote together with distributed a pamphlet entitled "Why the Colored American is Not inward the World's Columbia Exposition" at the pes of the Statute of Columbia at the Corner of Cornell together with Hayes Drives inward Chicago. That same twelvemonth Wells began writing for the Conservator, Chicago's kickoff African American newspaper.

 

Wells is noted every bit i of the 25 outstanding women inward Chicago's history. One of Chicago's housing projects was named inward her honor. Ida B. Wells Barnett's old dwelling inward Chicago is located at 3624 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive together with yet stands inward this famed Bronzeville community. Her Chicago dwelling was designated a National Historic Landmark inward 1974.