Lynching in the South
Lynching was a terror tactic intended to control and intimidate African-Americans. Between 1889 and 1918, over 2,500 African-Americans were lynched, hanged, burned alive and/or mutilated; this included men and women. Reasons ranged from simple offenses such as arguing with a White person, defending themselves from a White person, attempting to vote, or as a result of accusations of more serious offenses such as rape (which were seldom proven or yielded any evidence), or stealing. In other cases, a Black man was lynched just because a group of Whites decided to do so.On the March for Justice
For many Americans, the name Ida B. Wells-Barnett was an unfamailiar one, until the recent events of 2005 - the Senate vote on whether or not it would issue a public apology for failing to pass anti-lynching legislation. For some Americans, there is but a vague connection between this woman and the Senate's apology.Following is a brief biography along with links to additional resources depicting the life and work of this amazing American woman who was, without a doubt, a powerful defender of democracy.
One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap - Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells was born in Mississippi in 1862 as the oldest of eight children. When her parents died in 1880 as a result of a yellow fever, Wells, age 14, became a teacher and supported her younger siblings. Despite the challenges, Wells completed her studies at Rust College and in 1888, became a teacher in Tennessee.
While living in Memphis, Wells became an editor and co-owner of a local Black newspaper called "The Free Speech and Headlight." Her pen-name was "Iola."
Her first struggle for justice came after a railroad conducter asked her to give up her seat for a White man. When she refused, she was physically removed by three men employed by the railroad. She filed a lawsuit on the grounds of the civil rights act of 1875, which banned discrimination on the basis of color. She won in the lower court circuit but it was appealed and overturned in the Supreme Court of Tennessee. Her experience with the railroad helped to launch her career as a journalist.
In 1892 three of her friends, Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell, and Henry Stewart, were lynched and Wells used her paper to expose the evils of lynching.
She wrote:
"The city of Memphis has demonstrated that neither character nor standing avails the Negro if he dares to protect himself against the white man or become his rival. There is nothing we can do about the lynching now, as we are out-numbered and without arms. The white mob could help itself to ammunition without pay, but the order is rigidly enforced against the selling of guns to Negroes. There is therefore only one thing left to do; save our money and leave a town which will neither protect our lives and property, nor give us a fair trial in the courts, but takes us out and murders us in cold blood when accused by white persons."
Soon after, while attending a convention in New York, Wells received word that her life was in danger and that her office had been destroyed. She moved to England and earned a reputation as a fiery speaker and strong leader.
In 1895, Wells published "A Red Record," which told the story of lynching in America. By the start of the 20th century, racial tensions were high and lynching continued. Her involvement in the "Committe of 40" lay the groundwork for the the NAACP, the oldest civil rights organization in the country.
As late as 1930, she became disgusted by the nominees of the major parties to the state legislature, so Wells-Barnett decided to run for the Illinois State legislature, which made her one of the first Black women to run for public office in the United States. Her work continued until her death at the age of 69 in 1931.
An extended autobiography can be accessed on this webpage.
Sources: Lee D. Baker, April 1996 (ldbaker@acpub.duke.edu), Franklin, Vincent P. 1995 Living Our Stories, Telling Our Truths: Autobiography and the Making of African American Intellectual Tradition. 1995: Oxford University Press, Stephanie Tolliver, University of Maryland Women Studies