By: Jeydah Jenkins

Ida B. Wells was a notable journalist, reformer, and analyst throughout her lifetime. During her life, she combatted sexism, prejudice, and brutality. As a talented journalist, Wells additionally used her abilities to reveal insight into the states of African Americans throughout the South. After experiencing the murder of one of her companions due to lynching, Wells directed her concentration toward activism. She became distrustful about why individuals of color were lynched and decided to explore a few cases. She distributed her discoveries and composed a few sections in neighborhood papers.

Wells voyaged globally, revealing insight into lynching to unfamiliar audiences. Abroad, she straightforwardly stood up to white people in the testimonial development who disregarded lynching. On account of her position, she was regularly criticized and segregated by women’s suffrage organizations in the United States. Through and through, Wells remained dynamic in the women’s suffrage movement. She was an originator of the National Association of Colored Women’s Club, which was made to resolve issues managing social liberties and women’s testimonies.

When Ida B. Wells moved to Chicago at 32 years old, she was at that point an incredibly famous social equality lobbyist and analytical writer. Informing communities through journalism was only one strategy Wells used to battle discrimination. After moving to Chicago in 1894, she worked diligently to propel black equity and advancement. Wells was the primary founder of Chicago’s first black kindergarten and consistently coordinated individuals of color. Her accomplishments inspired government officials, activists, and local area pioneers.

Her impact today is evident. She has multiple high schools named in her honor, from the East Coast to the country’s West Coast. One of the most esteemed awards in journalism is named the Ida B. Wells award. The United States Postal Service held high regard for Wells, as she was appointed the thirteenth stamp in the Black Heritage Series in 1990. Recently, the city of Chicago celebrated her accomplishments with the reveal of the Ida B. Wells monument. The monument stands on the previous site of the lodging advancement named for her, Ida B. Wells Homes at 3729 S Langley Ave, Chicago, IL 60653.