| Ida B. Wells is considered one of the most | | | | fever epidemic that took the lives of both of her |
| prominent African-American political leaders of the | | | | parents and several siblings. Ida didn't allow her |
| late 19th and early 20th centuries. But where did | | | | siblings to be separated, and so was forced to |
| her political aspirations begin? Miss Wells, later to | | | | take care of her siblings which resulted in her |
| be known as Ida B. Wells-Barnett was an African | | | | quick transition from young child to adult. To take |
| American civil rights leader and women's rights | | | | care of her siblings she did what a number of |
| activist who is probably best known for her | | | | many other women did at the time, which was |
| effort in the anti-lynching movement. She was not | | | | become a school teacher. She would also begin a |
| very well known and physically was a small | | | | career as a journalist writing for several |
| woman at only 4 feet 6 inches tall and 96 lbs. She | | | | newspapers in Memphis, TN. Her earliest form of |
| had an abrasive, in your face, type of person | | | | activism was opposing the black clergy. |
| calling things the way she saw them. You could | | | | One of the most powerful and popular group |
| count on her to tell the truth, despite what that | | | | among African Americans was the black clergy. It |
| truth might have been. | | | | was in fact in the black churches where individuals |
| Born in Mississippi in 1862, she was educated at | | | | collected money which would go into social |
| Rust College. Her father was politically active, and | | | | welfare houses. It, too, was black churches that |
| his activism rubbed off on Ida, the oldest child. | | | | served, to a large extent, as schools. The black |
| During reconstruction, many of the white | | | | churches also served as a moral force within the |
| employers of African Americans were democrats | | | | African American communities. Wells took them |
| while African Americans were affiliated with the | | | | on, tired of preachers acting "holier than thou" |
| Republican Party. The white democrats would use | | | | while collecting money, sleeping with women, and |
| this leverage to force the African American | | | | using people. One minister in particular received |
| Republicans to vote Democrat or not vote at all | | | | her wrath and when many fellow ministers tried |
| or they would be evicted or fired or subject to | | | | to defend him, she called them out as well. She |
| any range of other types of terrorism. Wells | | | | argued that if they defended him, then they are |
| father, knowing these were common practice, | | | | essentially saying that what he did was not wrong |
| arranged to have his family moved to Memphis, | | | | and that they must do or would do the same |
| Tennessee just before an election so that his | | | | thing and they are therefore just as guilty. As a |
| family was not victimized after he voted along his | | | | result the black ministers backed down from |
| own party lines. | | | | Wells. |
| While in Memphis in 1878, there was a yellow | | | | |