“The black person I’d like to give
recognition to would be Ida B. Wells.
Today, one of the black people
we want to discuss is Ida B Wells.
Her name was Ida B. Wells.
She was Rosa Parks before there was a rosa parks.”
‘The Way To Right Wrongs Is To Turn The Light Of Truth Upon Them.’
For my last #60minutesin6mins I’m going to talk about the
incredible story of Ida B Wells.
Just last Monday, the street once known as
Congress Parkway in Chicago officially became Ida B. Wells Drive.
This coming nearly 90 years after her death in 1931.
As I have discussed many times this month, I wanted to delve
deep into some stories that are often overlooked in American history.
And arguably no other demographic in
American history has been as buried and forgotten
about than prominent Black women.
Ida B. Wells was one of those women.
Ida was born in the middle of the Civil War
so technically she was born a slave.
In the late 1800s, lynchings were
common all over the American south.
With most cases dismissed or thrown out before
an investigation was even considered.
They could essentially commit murder free from consequence.
These lynchings were often even treated as social gatherings,
to celebrate the demise of a black person before their eyes.
Some would bring a picnic to enjoy the spectacle.
However, in 1892, on record one of the
worst for lynchings in American history,
three black grocery store owners in Memphis Tennessee
were lynched by a white mob.
The reason given — as was true for a lot of excuses
offered in such cases — was that black men were going
after white women.
But this case was not to be overlooked
for a passionate young journalist by the name
of Ida B Wells was set to challenge the murderous status quo.
“She was a female activist and investigative reporter in a time
where it was literally impossible to stand up for black people.”
Ida wrote what at the time was considered a scathing
article that challenged such reasoning, writing that such
excuses were just a cover up, and that many
of these relationships were actually consensual.
She went on to investigate countless cases,
proving that much like in Memphis,
lynching murders often involved thriving business
owners whose grocery stores had become successful
and diverted business from a white competitor.
“That just literally blew things up!”
As you can imagine, her words were not
exactly well received. Riots ensued.
A white mob burned down her place of work,
threatening to lynch her for printing such
blasphemous claims. Out of fear for her life, she never returned
to Memphis, and instead travelled to New York
where she published her findings.
After long, she settled in Chicago,
where she continued to build on her research.
Publishing another piece called “The Red Record”
that dove deep and detailed the horrors of lynching and
the systemic corruption that covered it up.
Capitalizing on the positive response she received,
Ida used The Red Record as a foundation to push further.
Despite being a disenfranchised black woman who could not vote,
she was instrumental in advocating for such things as
the desegregation of the YMCA,
and discriminatory workplace practices.
She went on to become a key player in the women's
suffrage movement, but again was met with friction as she,
along with the black members of the movement,
were advised to walk at the back of a march in DC.
But as she did her whole life,
she would continue to push against what was deemed normality,
and walked to the front of the march with the white woman.
At the time, her unwillingness to compromise on any aspect
of her vision and remain firm in her beliefs,
resulted in her being ignored and sidelined by many leaders of
the NAACP. And as a result, she was often left out of historical
discussions around the role of the NAACP and their key players.
She was unwavering in her approach to justice.
And truly was a champion of free speech.
Come over to my instagram @francismmaxwell
Support independent media here for more videos like this