Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells, Second Edition

Ida B. Wells

Book

Crusade for Justice

The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells, Second Edition

Ida B. Wells
Edited by: Alfreda M. Duster
Afterword by: Michelle Duster
Preface by: Eve L. Ewing

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2020

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This book is in the series

Negro American Biographies and Autobiographies

About this book

“She fought a lonely and almost single-handed fight, with the single-mindedness of a crusader, long before men or women of any race entered the arena; and the measure of success she achieved goes far beyond the credit she has been given in the history of the country.”—Alfreda M. Duster

Ida B. Wells is an American icon of truth telling. Born to slaves, she was a pioneer of investigative journalism, a crusader against lynching, and a tireless advocate for suffrage, both for women and for African Americans. She co-founded the NAACP, started the Alpha Suffrage Club in Chicago, and was a leader in the early civil rights movement, working alongside W. E. B. Du Bois, Madam C. J. Walker, Mary Church Terrell, Frederick Douglass, and Susan B. Anthony.

This engaging memoir, originally published 1970, relates Wells’s private life as a mother as well as her public activities as a teacher, lecturer, and journalist in her fight for equality and justice. This updated edition includes a new foreword by Eve L. Ewing, new images, and a new afterword by Ida B. Wells’s great-granddaughter, Michelle Duster.

Author / Editor information

Ida B. Wells (1862–1931) was an African American journalist, newspaper editor, and abolitionist. Alfreda M. Duster (1904–1983), daughter of Ida B. Wells, was a social worker, mother, and civic leader in Chicago.

Reviews

"[Wells was] a sophisticated fighter whose prose was as thorough as her intellect."

— Walter Goodman, New York Times

"No student of black history should overlook Crusade for Justice."

— William M. Tuttle, Jr., Journal of American History

"Besides being the story of an incredibly courageous and outspoken black woman in the face of innumerable odds, the book is a valuable contribution to the social history of the United States and to the literature of the women’s movement as well."

— Elizabeth Kolmer, American Quarterly

"This book chronicles what would become groundbreaking journalism and community service. . . . We get a clearer picture of how integral women like [Wells] have been to the 'Lift as we climb' black club women’s movement, but also how black women’s activism was shaped after that. . . . Both [Eve L. Ewing and Michelle Duster] bring fresh insight into why Wells’ work is resonant today and how Wells’ work is still relevant. If you want a good understanding of why Ida B. Wells . . . is a historically significant figure on a national and international level, then this is the book that proves a more inclusive history is necessary."

— Newcity Lit

"It’s a classic that should be read just as often as the works of her contemporaries Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois."

— Book Riot

Topics

History Miscellaneous

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Foreword Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Foreword to the 1970 Edition Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Introduction Alfreda M. Duster Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
1. Born into Slavery Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	7
2. Hard Beginnings Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	14
3. New Opportunities Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	19
4. Iola Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	27
5. The Free Speech Days Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	32
6. Lynching at the Curve Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	42
7. Leaving Memphis Behind Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	47
8. At the Hands of a Mob Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	53
9. To Tell the Truth Freely Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	59
10. The Homesick Exile Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	67
11. Light from the Human Torch Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	73
12. Through England and Scotland Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	76
13. Breaking the Silent Indifference Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	82
14. An Indiscreet Letter Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	89
15. Final Days in London Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	92
16. “To the Seeker of Truth” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	98
17. Inter-Ocean Letters Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	107
18. In Liverpool Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	113
19. In Manchester Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	122
20. In Bristol Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	130
21. Newcastle Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	136
22. Memories of London Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	144
23. “You Can’t Change the Record” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	153
24. Last Days in Britain Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	159
25. A Regrettable Interview Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	170
26. Remembering English Friends Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	180
27. Susan B. Anthony Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	189
28. Ungentlemanly and Unchristian Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	196
29. Satin and Orange Blossoms Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	202
30. A Divided Duty Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	208
31. Again in the Public Eye Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	217
32. New Projects Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	228
33. Club Life and Politics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	237
34. A Negro Theater Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	246
35. Negro Fellowship League Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	253
36. Illinois Lynchings Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	263
37. NAACP Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	274
38. Steve Green and “Chicken Joe” Campbell Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	286
39. Seeking the Negro Vote Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	295
40. Protest to the Governor Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	303
41. World War I and the Negro Soldiers Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	313
42. The Equal Rights League Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	321
43. East Saint Louis Riot Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	328
44. Arkansas Riot Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	341
45. The Tide of Hatred Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	349
46. The Price of Liberty Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	358
Afterword Michelle Duster Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	363
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	373
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	377

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

April 17, 2020

eBook ISBN:

9780226691565

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

496

Other:

4 halftones

https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226691565

eBook ISBN: 9780226691565

Keywords for this book

ida b wells; lynching; journalism; violence; race; racism; slavery; suffrage; womens rights; freedom; black women; history; biography; autobiography; memoir; activism; naacp; chicago; susan anthony; frederick douglass; mary church terrell; madam cj walker; web du bois; equality; justice; lecturer; girl power; marginalized; african american; crusade; politics; free speech; negro fellowship league; liberty; hate; world war i; soldiers; military

Audience(s) for this book

General/trade;

Crusade for Justice

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Reviews

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Table of contents

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