Ida B. Wells

Hello! My name is Ida B. Wells. I was born on July 16th, 1862, in a small town called Holly Springs, Mississippi. I was born into slavery, but just a few months later, the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, which meant my family and I were free! My parents, James and Lizzie, taught me how important it was to read and get an education. When I was only 16 years old, a terrible sickness took my parents and my baby brother. I was the oldest, so I became a teacher to take care of my other brothers and sisters. It was a big job, but we were a family, and we had to stick together.

One day in 1884, when I was a young woman, I bought a first-class ticket for a train ride. But the conductor told me I had to move to a different car just because I was an African American woman. I knew this was wrong, and I refused to move. They actually had to drag me off the train! I was so upset that I took the railroad company to court to fight for my rights. That day, I learned that if I wanted things to change, I had to speak up. I decided the best way to do that was by writing. I started writing newspaper articles about the unfairness I saw all around me.

Soon, I was not just writing for newspapers—I owned one! It was called the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight. I used my newspaper to be an investigative journalist, which is like a detective who writes down the truth. In 1892, something awful happened. Three of my friends, who owned a grocery store, were killed by a mob. This terrible act was called a lynching. I knew I had to tell the whole country the truth about why this was happening. I wrote brave articles exposing the real reasons for this violence. Some people were so angry at me for telling the truth that they destroyed my newspaper office. I had to move away for my own safety, but I never, ever stopped writing and fighting for justice.

I kept working my whole life to make America a better and fairer place for everyone. I fought for women’s right to vote and, in 1909, I helped start a very important group that is still around today called the NAACP. I wanted to make sure everyone was treated with respect. I lived to be 68 years old, and I spent my years shining a light on injustice. People remember me today as a journalist and activist who used the power of words to fight for what was right. My story shows that even when you face scary things, your voice has the power to change the world.