Discover the Legacy: Top 15 Fun Facts About Ida B. Wells You Never Knew!

1. Ink-Stained Crusader

A tireless writer who gave ink-stained hands a new meaning – saving trees, but not from white mob atrocities: Ida B. Wells was an investigative journalist whose groundbreaking research exposed the barbaric practice of lynching during the late 1800s and early 1900s, shining a spotlight on racial injustice in the U.S. and taking her message to audiences overseas.
Source => womenshistory.org

2. Spicy Tea Trailblazer

If Ida B. Wells were a beverage, she'd be a strong cup of tea with a kick of Tabasco sauce: a trailblazing journalist, Wells co-owned and edited The Free Speech and Headlight newspaper in Memphis, exposing racial inequality and injustice, including critiques of segregated schools and the lynching of her friend Thomas Moss, ultimately inspiring the likes of Frederick Douglass.
Source => nrawomen.com

Did you know the real-life "Moses" was a fearless woman named Harriet Tubman? She led 19 daring trips to free around 300 slaves through the Underground Railroad! Discover her astonishing story 🚂💪🔗

=> Fun Facts about Harriet-Tubman

3. Emoji-Free Journalist

If Ida B. Wells were to write a text message, she'd probably ditch the emojis, acronyms, and abbreviations, sticking to crisp one-syllable words that even autocorrect wouldn't dare to touch: Her pen name was "Iola", and she achieved fame as a Black journalist who wrote plain, powerful pieces on race using simple language to connect with her audience's limited education.
Source => interactive.wttw.com

4. Justice Train Conductor

All aboard the justice train, next stop: civil rights activism! Choo-chooing her way into history, Ida B. Wells didn't leave her conductor unimpressed: Born a slave in 1862, Wells became determined to challenge segregation after being forcibly removed from her first-class train seat in 1884, turning her monumental moment of injustice into a lifelong fight for African American civil rights.
Source => billofrightsinstitute.org

5. Sassy Name-Shatterer

Before "I do" became "I don't": Ida B. Wells, a true trendsetter of her time, decided to keep her maiden name even after getting hitched, shattering convention with a sassy flair.
Source => nps.gov

6. Data-Crunching Trailblazer

Crouching journalist, hidden data-cruncher: Ida B. Wells cleverly used her investigative journalism skills to bring down false accusations of black men raping white women, sparking an uproar in Memphis and causing her to flee to Chicago. Here, she founded the first black women's club, kindergarten, and suffrage organization, while also aiding in the election of the first black alderman on the Chicago City Council and running for a state senate seat as an independent - cementing her status as a trailblazer for black people and women in politics.
Source => history.com

7. Anti-Lynching Express

All aboard the anti-lynching express, with conductor Ida Blow-Your-Mind Wells: Journalist extraordinaire Ida B. Wells fiercely tackled discrimination and racism, starting with being forcibly removed from a first-class train car meant for white passengers. Her powerful pen documented the horrors of 241 lynchings, breaking the myth of white women rape allegations, and igniting a decades-long crusade against this heinous crime.
Source => billofrightsinstitute.org

8. Windy City Founder

Hold onto your hats and prepare to be blown away by Windy City history: Ida B. Wells founded the Negro Fellowship League in 1910 to provide financial support for black migrants making the Great Migration to Chicago from the South!
Source => lib.uchicago.edu

9. World Saving Founding Seven

When Ida B. Wells wasn't busy being the life of the party, she was out saving the world from supervillainy... of racial injustice: Wells was one of the founding seven African Americans, alongside icons like W.E.B. Du Bois and Mary Church Terrell, who signed the call for a meeting that led to the creation of the NAACP in 1909, making massive strides in the fight against lynching and racial violence.
Source => naacp.org

10. Lemonade-Infused Activist

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and then campaign relentlessly against lynching: Ida B. Wells, a ferocious advocate for social justice, succeeded in reducing documented cases of lynching from 235 in 1892 to a mere 107 in 1899 through powerful speeches, prompting boycotts, and persuading businesses and governments of the economic drawbacks caused by such horrific acts.
Source => lib.uchicago.edu

11. Queen of No Chill

If Ida B. Wells were alive today, she'd be the ultimate "Queen of No Chill" when it came to exposing the gruesome realities of racial injustice: This 19th-century powerhouse bravely shined a light on the horrors of lynching and fought for Black rights with her groundbreaking investigative work and powerful publications, including Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases.
Source => therealnews.com

12. Duchess of Trains

Before Rosa Parks was the "Queen of Buses," Ida B. Wells was the "Duchess of Trains": In 1884, defying laws and social norms, Ida B. Wells, a black investigative journalist, not only entered but also used white-only train carriages, even purchasing a first-class ticket. She was forcibly removed by railroad workers, went on to file a lawsuit against the railroad company, and pioneered resisting public transport segregation a full 71 years ahead of Rosa Parks.
Source => politifact.com

13. Real-Life Shero

Move over Nancy Drew, there's a real-life shero in town: Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a trailblazing investigative journalist and anti-lynching activist, meticulously documented over 10,000 African American lynchings in the South between 1864 and 1894 in her riveting work, A Red Record. Ida's sleuthing skills in uncovering primary sources like white newspapers and her undaunted spirit exposed the horrific brutality and racial hatred behind these lynchings, ultimately inspiring generations of activists to carry the torch for justice and reform.
Source => nypl.org

14. Wells the Curiosity Quencher

Don't let the Wells run dry of curiosity: Ida B. Wells was a sharp-quilled journalist who exposed the horrifying world of lynchings in the South, writing two finger-wagging pamphlets that debunked the stinky myth of black men raping white women, while also counting a ghastly 241 lynchings. Thanks to her wit, bravery, and literary prowess, this word-weaving warrior played a vital role in tackling racial injustice and shedding light on the stomach-churning horrors suffered by African Americans in the land of sweet tea and magnolias.
Source => billofrightsinstitute.org

15. Heart & Soul Power Couple

Who needs a hyphen when you've got heart and soul? Ida B. Wells and Ferdinand L. Barnett crushed it in the marriage game without ever resorting to those pesky double-barreled surnames: A powerhouse couple born from a chance historical encounter in 1862 Mississippi, Ida and Ferdinand fearlessly fought racial injustice together, earning spotlight on The New York Times as one of the earliest examples of American women who chose to keep their maiden names after marriage.
Source => nytimes.com