Contents
Ida B. Wells
Exposing lynching through investigative journalism and campaigning for civil rights.
Southern Horrors · A Red Record
- Born
- 16 July 1862
- Birthplace
- Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States
- Died
- 25 March 1931
More people
Ida B. Wells
An American journalist and organiser who challenged racist violence with documented cases. She also fought for women’s voting rights and Black political participation.
Early life
Born into slavery
Was born during the Civil War and grew up after emancipation.
Family responsibility
After her parents died in the 1878 yellow-fever epidemic, she helped support her younger siblings through teaching.
Career
- 1880s
Teacher and journalist
Worked in Memphis and began writing about racial injustice.
- 1892
Anti-lynching investigation
The killing of friends prompted investigations; a mob destroyed her newspaper office.
- 1890s onward
National campaign
Published findings, lectured abroad and organised in Chicago.
- 1913
Voting rights
Founded Chicago’s Alpha Suffrage Club.
Campaigns & writing
Southern Horrors
Challenged the excuses used to justify lynching.
A Red Record
Collected cases and statistics documenting racial violence.
Alpha Suffrage Club
Organised Black women’s participation in electoral politics.
Beyond work
Family
Married lawyer and newspaper publisher Ferdinand Barnett and raised four children.
Chicago organising
Worked on housing, employment and civil-rights campaigns beyond her journalism.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Adam Cuerden. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
