Black History: Ida Wells

Ida Wells, who has been called the "mother of the Civil Rights Movement," dedicated her life to the fight for justice in America. Her love of learning and her interest in politics almost certainly developed from her parents, who stressed education and passed down an interest in activism.

In 1884, while riding a train, she was asked by the conductor to give up her seat to a white man and instead sit in the crowded smoking car. When she boldly refused to give up the seat, she was dragged away by two men.

Wells challenged her mistreatment, although the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited discrimination in "public accommodations," had just been ruled unconstitutional. She lost her case when it got to the Supreme Court of Tennessee, but it would inspire others to stand up. It was an act of heroism that came 71 years before the famous episode where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus -- starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott that led to the Supreme Court of the United States ruling that required segregated buses were unconstitutional.

Her fight against the injustice she experienced that day inspired her to continue with her cause and led her to become co-owner and editor of the anti-segregationist newspaper Memphis Free Speech, where she railed against lynching. After being warned that her life was in danger, she left the newspaper and continued her cause at The New York Age and later the Conservator. In 1885, she published A Red Record, which further explored race lynching and documented its history in America.

She also influenced the women's suffrage movement at a time when many feared that getting involved with issues dealing with racism would hurt the cause for women. She founded the first black women's suffrage association in the United States in 1913. As the organization gained popularity, political support grew with it.

Not only was Ida Wells an incredible voice in the movement for justice and equal rights, but she also organized at the local level to make change happen. Her role and accomplishments as an organizer in her community make her an inspirational figure and showcase the difference that one talented and driven individual can make.