4 A LETTER FROM DUCHESS In the late 1800s and early 1900s mobs of white people killed thousands of African Americans in the United States These killings were called lynchings Mobs lynched Black people for minor or perceived insults Often the victims had not committed a crime But they did not receive a fair trial White people used lynchings to control and oppress Black people Black journalist Ida Wells was one of the first to investigate lynchings She researched and documented more than 700 lynchings Her work helped expose widespread violence against African Americans Wells's work and legacy continue to be recognized today In 2018 the city of Chicago Illinois renamed a street after Wells It is now called Ida B. Wells Drive Wells lived in Chicago for much of her life Michelle Duster is Wells's great granddaughter She was proud to learn that Wells will be recognized in this way Please join me in this exploration of Wells's life and legacy Follow me on a journey that tells the story of the promise of freedom duchess harris
5 Ida Wells brought attention to injustices against African Americans through her writings
CHAPTER ONE 6
SEPARATE AND NOT EQUAL In May 1884 21 year old Ida Wells stepped aboard a train in Memphis Tennessee Wells was an African American woman She had purchased a first class ticket She made her way to the only first class car She sat down and pulled out a book to read When the conductor of the train came through he saw Wells sitting there Other African American passengers were riding in the second class smoking car That car was reserved for smokers and African Americans The conductor demanded that Wells move to the smoking car too In the mid- to late 1800s black people could work as servers in railroad cars but could not sit with white passengers 7
