Ida B.Wells:Telling the Truth and Sharing the Story

We've seen racial injustice captured online. We've watched uprisings on cell phone video. This sort of democratized reporting highlights the harsh reality of racism and the significance of storytelling. But before cell phone video, there was Ida B. Wells.

Ida B. Wells, a former teacher turned "most courageous Black woman journalist" (Atlanta Daily World), was a brave and spirited anti-lynching crusader dedicated to documenting the corruption against Black People, Black Women, and other oppressed communities. Through writing and advocacy, she highlighted those often left in the dark. Take a look at this digital collection to learn more about the life and times of  Mrs. Ida B. Wells. 

Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases by Ida B. Wells 

In the preface of Southern Horrors, Wells writes, "It is with no pleasure that I have dipped my hands in the corruption here exposed. Somebody must show that the Afro-American race is more sinned against than sinning, and it seems to have fallen upon me to do so." Wells is a noted anti-lynching crusader who trailblazed racial violence reporting. Initially produced as a pamphlet, Southern Horrors explores the harsh reality of racism and southern White lynch-mobs. Fearless and straightforward, this read travels through a time that, unfortunately, mirrors today. If you're interested in learning more about the history of lynch-mobs and racial violence in the south, this one’s for you. 

The Light of Truth: Writing of an Anti-Lynching Crusader by Ida B. Wells (Edited by Mia Bay and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.) 

"The broadest and most comprehensive collection of writings available by an early civil and women's rights pioneer." 

In this collection, we get to examine the life and mind of Ida B. Wells. Edited by Mia Bay and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Light of Truth: Writing of an Anti-Lynching Crusader  highlights Wells through her own words. Through essays, articles and journal entries, we gain insight into Ida B. Wells the person. Want to learn more? Check this out. 

Mob Rule in New Orleans: Robert Charles and His Fight to Death by Ida B. Wells

In Mob Rule in New Orleans, Wells details the story of Robert Charles. In July 1900, Robert Charles, a Black man, sat on a doorstep, with Leonard Pierce, another Black man. Having  simple conversation, three White officers then approached the two men, unprovoked, suspicious of their presence. Shortly after, the officers attempted an arrest. Pierce submitted and had a gun placed to his face and Charles "was made the victim of a savage attack by officer Mora who used a billet and then drew a gun" to try to kill him. In self-defense, Charles then drew his gun and shot back at the officer--- both men were wounded. The officer received the worst of the shots and fell to the ground. Charles escaped. Following the incident, inaccurate media reports surfaced, centering Charles as the perpetrator and as a danger to society.  A week-long lynch mob ensued, targeting not only Charles but other Black members of the community. Wells documents this in its entirety. To learn more about Robert Charles and the lynch-mobs of New Orleans, check this out. 

Stony the Road: Reconstruction White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

 "...if emancipation sparked "a new birth of freedom" in Lincoln's America, why was it necessary to march in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s America?"

In Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores some of the most impactful eras of the African-American experience. Some include Reconstruction and Jim Crow. Here, he also highlights lynching---an element of racial violence Wells worked hard to expose. If you want to learn more about lynching, its context, and why Wells made it her platform---this is for you. 

Ida: A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching by Paula J. Giddings 

Want more Wells? Check out Ida: A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching. Before becoming an anti-lynching crusader, Wells experienced a few incidents of her own. In her early life, Wells sued the Chesapeake, Ohio, and Southwestern Railway for discrimination after refusing to move to a segregated car. She was physically thrown off and later sought justice. Wells went on to win a settlement but the decision was later overturned. This helped fuel some of her advocacy work. Following the incident, three Black businessmen were lynched in Memphis. This helped motivate her vigorous anti-lynching crusade and spearheaded a great deal of her research and writing. She co-founded the NAACP and was a passionate figure in the women's suffrage movement. In this work, she often centered African- American Women because they were often excluded. She was a mother, a wife, a sister and a woman of her own. If you need one more reason to read about Ida B. Wells, here you are. 

Note: Access to our digital collection requires a DC Public Library card.  Don't have a card? Sign up here.