On today, July 16th, Atlanta Free Speech salutes the woman who inspired us to continue her legacy through journalism and community empowerment, Ida B. Wells-Barnett.
For more than 40 years, Ida was one of the most articulate, fearless and respected women in the United States.
As injustices against former slaves raged throughout the South, Ida decided to use her pen to expose the motives behind the violence. Lynching had become one of the main tactics in the strategy to terrorize Blacks, and exposing its real purpose became the target of her crusade for justice.
She advocated for both an economic boycott and a mass exodus. She traveled through the United States and England, writing and speaking about lynching and our government’s refusal to intervene to stop it. This so enraged her enemies that they burned her presses (Memphis Free Speech), and put a price on her head, threatening her life if she returned to the South. She remained in exile for almost forty years.
Ida died in 1931, leaving a formidable legacy of undaunted courage and tenacity in the fight against racism and sexism in America. It is up to me to continue her legacy but it is up to our community to continue the fight for our people. Our struggles continue today so we must not think that we have overcome or arrived.
Ida was instrumental in the fight against lynching, proving that these acts were essentially murders of innocent Black men, women, and children. So she boldly demanded that their white murderers be held responsible for their crimes. Our Black brothers and sisters are currently being lynched today. We too must demand that their murderers are held responsible. Many think that a lynching is hanging someone from a tree, but lynchings are senseless murders/killings for an alleged offense. Therefore, there are no “modern day lynchings”. When an unarmed Black man is executed by bullets at the hands of the majority, it is just a lynching– because the killings never stopped.
We are still having the same conversations that Ida was having with her peers in the late 1800’s and early 1900s. We cannot give up nor can we avoid reviewing the evidence because it makes us uncomfortable. We need to be informed. We must be ready to sacrifice in order to bring about change. Remember those before you who gave their lives and lost their lives to the struggle. Help me honor Ida B. Wells today. Happy birthday, Ida.
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