Ida B. Wells

Journalist

July 16, 1862 Black Celebrities Born on July 16 Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States

March 25, 1931 Chicago, Illinois, United States

Claude Barrette, Ferdinand Barnett

An anti-lynching crusader, Ida B. Wells was an American activist who courageously spoke about democratic rights for people against racial inequalities. Because of her parents’ early death, Ida had to drop out of school, and take up a job as a teacher. While traveling on a train, despite having a first class ticket, Ida was asked to move to a car designated for African-Americans made her realize that racial segregation was prevalent despite the Civil Rights Act which banned discrimination against creed, colour or race. Ida understood the need to voice her opinion and took up writing articles in various newspapers and magazines about racial inequality. She had to forego her job as a teacher as she was vocal about the injustice meted out to colored students in schools. An incident where three businessmen were lynched by a white mob, urged her to speak against this practice, and as a result of this her newspaper office was vandalised. There were death threats, but Ida spoke against lynching in public forums and also tried to influence the reformed whites which eventually brought her anti-lynching crusade to White House. She was also personally responsible for establishing a number of associations which upheld the values of civil rights, and spoke against racial discrimination in government offices