Ida B Wells Achievements

worked against him for the good of her country. Her heroic life was especially shown by her

The well-known African-American activist, Ida B. Wells was born on July 16, 1862, during the Civil War. The author, Mia Bay illustrated the life of Wells in her novel, To Tell the Truth Freely: The Life of Ida B. Wells Bay demonstrated Well’s accomplishments as a free African-American and the many struggles she faced after Reconstruction ended and the Jim Crow Laws were enforced. The events in her life were relatively distinct, but according to the Burns-Belfry Museum and the historical marker labeled “Freedman Town” in Oxford, Mississippi, her experiences overall represented the social, economic, and political circumstances that the majority of African Americans faced in the southern United States during the thirty years, 1862 – 1892- from her birth in Holly Springs in 1862 through her decision to leave Memphis in 1892.

Ida B. Wells was the most influential African American woman of her time, who set the path for many women like Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm, and many others, who can walk with their heads held high and no more looking back. She achieved so much while she was here on earth. Wells’ was born in during slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi. She grew up with both parents (her mother’s name was Lizzie Bell, who was sold by a number of owners and her father’s name was James Wells, who had one master, who was also his father and whose last name he took his own) living in the home and she had seven siblings. It was important two both of her parents that their children would receive the best education, her father served on the first board of trustees of Rust College, a founder of the school, and it was ran by Northern missionaries. Once she reached her teenage years her parents and youngest sibling were stroke with an incurable disease and died from it. She decided to keep her family together by accepting a teacher position. Ida managed to continue her education at a nearby college named Rust College and once completed her moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to help with raising her younger siblings. In Tennessee, Ida started to fight for racial and gender justice; the cause for her willing to a take stand on these issues was an incident that happened to her aboard a train leading to her sue the railroad company for violating the 1875 Civil Right Act. Wells’ was an anti-lynching crusader

During these times, it was unheard of for a person of color to stick up for themselves and battle a white person or company in court. Wells is a true radical activist, using her voice followed by action to fight for the justices deserved. Her journalism was said to be the meaning of her life, it is how she got her voice

Born a slave, but freed 6 months after her birth her birth, Ida B. Wells lived her life as a free woman. This, however, didn’t help with discrimination she faced living in Mississippi with her family. Years later at the age of 16, Wells parents and one of her siblings died in a yellow fever outbreak. She dropped out of school and provided for her remaining siblings by getting a job as a teacher at a school after convincing them she was 18. In 1882, she moved her sisters to Tennessee to live with an aunt while her brothers got jobs as carpenters. This allowed her to continue her education. After a great injustice involving a first class ticket, Wells having to sit in the African American car despite her ticket, and the Tennessee Supreme Court

for the rights of women, and she even brought her own family into the rebellion to assist her in

One day when harriet was working in the cotton fields with her family.when harriet and her family was working in the fields the slave owners were being mean to harriet and her family harriet did not like that and she told her family that and her family agreed.

The purpose of this paper is to shine light on the life and accomplishments of Ida B. wells. She wasn’t a sociologist but her contributions to sociology were major Patricia A. Schechter has written an expansive and important biography of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Ida B. Wells was born to slaves in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on July 16, 1862. Ida B. Wells ' parents were active in the Republican Party during Reconstruction. James, Wells father, was involved with the Freedman’s Aid Society and helped start Shaw University, a school for the newly freed slaves, which is now Rust College, and served on the first board of trustees. Ida B. wells received her early but due to tragedy striking her family at the age of 16, she had to drop out. “During the pivotal years that witnessed the works of Jim Crow racial segregation, she shared center stage with an array of black women, including Nannie Helen Burroughs, Mary Church Terrell, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Maggie Lena Walker, who have received considerable scholarly attention in the impressive works of historians Deborah Gray White, Audrey McCluskey and Elaine Smith, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, and Elsa Barkley Brown. Schechter admits to being attracted to Wells-Barnett’s life and experiences as a vehicle to understand the loss of faith in the Victorian era idea that “women could be a unique force for racial healing in this country” (p.12).

Ida had purchased a first class bus ticket but she was later asked to move to the African American section of the train. Ida refused to move and continued to fight with the crew until she was effected from the train and but a man on the hand. Ida sued the railroad and won a $500 settlement in a circuit court case

While doing some research on Ida B. Wells I found out that she had been born a slave, just before emancipation. She attended Rust College and became a school teacher at Memphis. In 1887, she was thrown out of a train because she refused to get out of her seat. It took the conductor (who she bit), baggageman, and another white man to kick her out of the train, She sued the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad for not allowing her to sit at the ladies' car, and show won at the local court, however, the Tennessee's supreme court reversed the ruling. She then quickly became on the most radical voices of her time.

She began doing campaigns, boycotts, and speeches which helped spread the cause she was fighting for, and make more people join her fight against discrimination for farm-workers. As she said “The thing about nonviolence is that it spreads. When you get people to participate in nonviolent actions - whether its fast, a march, a boycott, or a picket line - people hear you, people see you, people are learning from that action”. In doing this, she ensured that by doing and participating in non-violent boycotts, marches, campaigns etc. She would receive more from it than being violent.

She is a strong and courageous woman with a heart of a

She was later arrested and when she got bailed out a boycott was started against racial segregation in the USA. She became an inspiration for not having to do something because of the colour of your skin or gender.

Ida B. Wells knew from the beginning that the racial segregation was still racial inequality causing some violence and excuses. These lies and actions were mostly to control the power of the negroes and “to keep the nigger down” so that the whites didn’t lose their power. I think the color line challenge was when Wells wrote about this and even the slightest hint of the truth was enough to anger the white people, so they took down her paper. I think they did this to avoid disputes about the disproportionate rights and privileges the colored received because they benefit from the degradation of the colored and they didn’t want to lose any benefits. I believe Well’s fight for justice was most effective and promising compared to the others because she got the most success from her testimonial. She had the Women’s Loyal Union (club movement) and being invited all around country, speaking to those who could make an impact to the rest of the world.

wells publish more articles on the lynching's and advise African-Americans to evacuate Memphis. In the passage Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Her Passion for Justice published in 1995, Author Lee D. Baker stated, After the killing of her three male friends Wells-Barnett wrote in The Free Speech there is nothing that can be done about the lynching. They have more people than we do and they are armed. All we can do is save our money and leave town. This is will save our people and eliminate the amount blacks that are being killed(Oxford University Press).