An online book about this author is available, as is a wikipedia article wellsbarnett, ida b. The wells family, as well as the rest of the slaves of the confederate states. Born into slavery, she had risen to become coowner of a memphis newspaper. Wells wrote in her diary, o god, is there no redress, no peace.
Wellsbarnett 18621931 american social activist and writer. Wells and the reconstruction of race james west davidson new narratives in american history. List of books and articles about ida wellsbarnett online research. Wellsbarnett, the only african woman among the founders was initially omitted from the committee of forty which constituted the interim governing body of the naacp. They say james west davidson oxford university press. Writing about the affair in free speech, the paper she began editing in. Her words ring as true today as they did more than one hundred years ago. Wells was a founder of the national association for the advancement of colored people naacp, and she helped black women win the right to vote. In spite of her national and international reputation and membership in the negro elite of chicago, her contributions have been sorely neglected until very recently. Wells, was an africanamerican journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, and an early leader in the civil rights movement. Wells arguably became the most famous black woman in america, during a life that was centered on combating prejudice and violence, who. Wellsbarnett born a slave, learned to read at rust college wrote numerous essays on the status of african american in the us and was an active crusader against lynching and. Using the pen name iola, wells in 1891 also wrote some newspaper articles. Long before boycotts, sitins, and freedom rides, ida b.
Wells was born a slave in holly springs, mississippi, on july 16, 1862, six months before the emancipation proclamation freed all of the slaves in the confederate. Wells, holly springs, mississippi, july 16, 1862 chicago, illinois, march 25, 1931, later known as ida wellsbarnett, was an african american civil rights advocate, and led a strong cause against lynching. Born a slave in 1862, ida bell wells was the oldest daughter of james and lizzie wells. Wells off a train for refusing to give up her seat. Wellsbarnett was a teacher, journalist, public speaker and leading voice among several early 20thcentury organizations that launched the long fight for racial equality. The family remained enslaved until abraham lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation. She graduated from rust college and taught in memphis public schools.
Wellsbarnett 18621931 was a prominent journalist, suffragist, and cofounder of the national association for the advancement of colored people. I actually purchased this book for a research paper i wrote for a masters level. Wellss life work as a teacher, journalist, antilynch ing activist. Im going through some of my old teaching units, and found the following poem. Wells spearheaded an attentiongetting international campaign against the american practice of lynching. But when a white mob lynched a close friend, ida s life changed forever. Historian james west davidsons book focuses on the back story to wellss activism, not only tracing her experiences as she grew up in the postemancipation south, but also cataloguing the dramatic changes that accompanied this period. The emancipation proclamation was passed about six months after her birth. She was an advocate for civil rights, working tirelessly to campaign against injustice through her writings, publications, actions, and lawsuits. An intimate portrait of the activist as a young woman which was actually later published and edited by her daughter. Ida bell wells 18621931 was an africanamerican journalist, editor, suffragist, sociologist, and an early leader in the civil rights movement.
Wellsbarnett 18621931, an african american journalist, was an active crusader against lynching and a champion of social and political justice for african americans. Wells was born into slavery in holly springs, mississippi, just months prior to emancipation in 1862. She was a civil rights activist and journalist who risked her life to oppose oppression, racism, and violence in america. Ida bell wellsbarnett, african american journalist who led an. Ida bell wellsbarnett july 16, 1862 march 25, 1931 was an american investigative journalist, educator, and an early leader in the civil rights movement. Before long, she was speaking out about the evils of lynching and encouraging blacks to leave memphis. She was one of the founders of the national association for the advancement of colored people naacp. Wells with spanish moss growing as soft as late, with glossy magnolias and songbirds in trees, with juleps and jasmine in the sweet evening breeze with dusty back roads and gardenfront. Wells africanamerican journalist civilrights activist, 18621931 born to slave parents in holly springs, mississippi in 1862, ida bell wells grew up to become a gutsy journalist and a pioneer civilrights activist who launched a virtual onewoman crusade against the vicious practice of lynching a murderous mob action taken by whites in the decades following emancipation as a form. When wells was born in july 1862, in holly springs, mississippi, her parents were slaves.
Ida bell wellsbarnett july 16, 1862 march 25, 1931, more commonly known as ida b. Dubois probably omitted her from the original list of forty because wellsbarnett was a woman of unrestrained outspokenness who seldom acknowledged the gender etiquette. Wellsbarnett, 1920 illustrated html at niu wellsbarnett, ida b. Wells wrote about issues of race and politics in the south. Wellsbarnett delivered a passionate speech at the national negro conference in which she denounced lynching and called for the implementation of federal policies that would protect black lives. This picturebook biography covers basic information about wells life. A national hero is someone who inspires change and challenges what we assume to be normal and just. Wells negro american biographies and autobiographies new ed by wells, ida b. Idas parents were both able to read and write, and they taught all of their seven children to be literate. Wells 1893 lynch law, says the virginia lancet, as known by that appellation, had its origin in 1780 in a combination of citizens of pittsylvania county, virginia, entered into for the purpose of suppressing a trained band of horsethieves and counterfeiters whose well concocted schemes had bidden defiance to the ordinary laws of. Davidson captures the breathtaking and often chaotic changes that swept the. Wellsas well as the story of the great struggle over the meaning of race in postemancipation america. She was a fearless antilynching crusader, suffragist, womens rights advocate, journalist and speaker. Lynch law in all its phases and the red record tabulated statistics and alleged causes of.
Wellsbarnett was one of the most important africanamerican women reformers of her day. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Wells would be as interesting as a diary can get, but decostawilliss editing and explanations make the diary captivating reading. Wells was famous for her journalism career and status as a rights activist. The broadest and most comprehensive collection of writings available by an early civil and womens rights pioneer seventyone years before rosa parkss courageous act of resistance, police dragged a young black journalist named ida b. Her expose about an 1892 lynching enraged locals, who burned her press and. Wells began to write her autobiography, which she finished.
Wells negro american biographies and autobiographies, and on lynchings classics in black studies, and more on. Wellsbarnett was one of the first africanamericans to raise an. The world looks on with wonder that we have conceded so much and remain lawabiding under such great outrage and provocation. After years of slavery, her parents stressed the importance of. Wellsbarnett was an antilynching and civil rights activist at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. Wells 18621931 it took great courage to speak out against lynching. Her strategies for combating lynching were to use reverse psychology on the white newspaper reporters and the white community.
Wells was disappointed that not much information was written about her so she wrote two autobiographies before her death. Ida bell wells spater ida bell wellsbarnett, geboren 16. One of the first and strongest opponents of lynch mobs was a woman, ida b. Wells was a civil rights activist who wrote in newspapers to. Wells was born a slave in holly springs, mississippi. Wells diaries from 18851887 and 1930, and two other books owned by her.
This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. By nikole hannahjones, it looked rather unremarkable, just one short paragraph tucked at the bottom of page 1 with the headline ida wells married. Well written account appropriate for children on a brave life too often overlooked. Ida bell wellsbarnett, 18621931, africanamerican civilrights advocate and feminist, b. The book opens up telling the story about the arkansas race riots in 1919. After the lynching of her friends, wells wrote in free speech and headlight. Wells, police violence, and the legacy of lynching. She published her findings in a pamphlet and wrote several columns in local newspapers. Thoroughly appalled and sickened by the rising numbers of whiteonblack murders in the south since the beginning of reconstruction, and by the unwillingness of local, state and federal governments to prosecute those who were responsible, ida bell wellsbarnett wrote southern horrors, a pamphlet in which she exposed the horrible reality of lynchings to the rest of the nation and to the world.
But what she is most remembered for is the success of her lifelong crusade against the practice of lynchingcalled. She spent the majority of her life defending the integrity of her people and allowed people to realize the truth behind horrific events that occurred in the south in the late 1800s. Wellsbarnett 18621931 was a prominent journalist, suffragist, and cofounder of the national association for the advancement of colored people naacp. Wells is one of the most important african american of all times. Wellsbarnett 18621931 is chiefly known for her work as a journalist and an editor, and for the work she did in shedding light on the practice of lynching in the south as a means of political intimidation and repression. Wells 18621931 is brought vividly to life in this accessible and wellresearched biography. Ida bell wellsbarnett july 16, 1862 march 25, 1931 was an american investigative.
1079 435 197 1048 49 977 217 1185 540 81 34 863 1269 1469 1574 744 611 898 1152 932 13 198 1430 1246 363 712 1024 8 137 395 563 525 532