Ida B Wells Research Paper

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Ida B. Wells born in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862 and died March 25, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois. She was an African American woman, who from a young age had to be a mother for her siblings, a teacher, later on a journalist, newspaper editor, sociologist and suffragist. What makes Ida B. Wells-Barnett unique is how she became a crusader for the voiceless by displaying her important leadership roles for African American civil rights. Ida B. Wells had lived during the time where African Americans after the Civil War were granted with rights they probably never dreamed of having during their time as slaves. They could now be citizens of the United States, given equal protection under the laws and male African Americans at a certain age, were now given the ballot. Each of these things represented both a great victory for the freed people, and the promise of a luminescent future. During the 1870’s-1880’s, these rights were slowly diminishing and finally stripped away from the African Americans through Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws were a set of laws that “African Americans were relegated to the status of second class citizens and represented the legitimization of anti-black racism.”1 These blacks were losing their rights, and were forced to do other work that was similar to slavery. African Americans were now being oppressed economically, socially, politically, and the most common method was through violence. By the end of the 1800’s, lynching was clearly the most flagrant and feared means of depriving blacks of their rights. During Ida B. Wells-Barnett time, lynching was a racial terror. The blacks at the time were often falsely accused of committing the most heinous crimes imag... ... middle of paper ... ... have been tremendous and her contribution to each was timely and indispensable. Ida B. Wells continued the good fight against mob violence and lynching, and crusaded for black rights until her death on March 25, 1931. In conclusion, by being a crusader for the voiceless by displaying her important leadership roles for African American civil rights, Ida is still acknowledged today as a great journalist and activist. Her organizations that she formed long ago such as the N.A.A.C.P. and National Association of Colored Women continues to survive and help the millions of individuals out there today. I will now close with a great quote from Mrs. Ida. B. Wells-Barnett “the way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon,”10 which is something she truly fought for and succeeded to help give brighter futures for generations to come.

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