Google celebrates Ida B. Wells on her 153rd Birthday
July 16th 2015
While history shows us that Ida B. Wells as a famous anti-lynch activist, journalist, suffragist, sociologist and feminist, a lot of people don’t know or learn about her early life and the struggles she had to go through as a youth to accomplish what she did in her later years. Childhood is what shapes and teaches us what is wrong and what is right and few people do anything about it. Ida B. Wells had a pretty wild upbringing and it helped push her along through her life to become the well known journalist and cultural icon that she is today.
On July 16th, 1862, Ida was born into a family of slaves in Mississippi in the midst of the Civil War. Her father was a carpenter and her mother was a cook. They were two slaves that fell in love and wanted to be together despite their bonding slavery and everything else going on in the world. But this war did not last much longer and after it was over, Ida’s father was invited to keep working for the white family, which he accepted. But they were no longer slaves. Education became the parents main focus, wanting to send Ida and her seven siblings to school. It was also when the truth of education came out, the slaves realized why they never got to learn anything like the white people they served. “Former slaves realized that education had been forbidden because it was a key to freedom and a source of white power.”[1]
Ida could barely remember when she first started her education, that’s how young she was. The earliest memory of her education was being able to read the newspaper for her family and friends during breakfast and her mother going to school with all the little kids and herself[2]. She could even remember learning to read the Bible. During the Reconstruction period, there were many small schools completely filled with children and not enough books to go around.
Her parents were very big influences in Ida’s life and the lives of her other siblings. Her father was a “race man”[3] He cared so much for the lives of the other African American people in Mississippi and across the world. He was also deeply interested in politics, although he never tried to run for office because he cared too much about trying to take care of his family and bringing home the bacon for them. Her mother was a deeply religious disciplinarian who cared nothing more than her children’s well beings. That included their education. She often went to Ida’s school to check up on their learning and would give them tasks while at home to further their learning process. She was very involved in their education, especially outside of the children’s school.
As soon as Ida reached her teen years, she was enrolled in Shaw University. It was a deeply Christian school. Students were required to go to daily mass, weekly prayer meetings and Church every Sunday. It was all very different than what Ida knew from her childhood and growing up in her home. Like most African-American schools, most of the teachers and faculty at Shaw university were white. The white female teachers greatly influenced Ida’s views on womanhood. Ida B. Wells described her time at Shaw University as the “my dark days”[4] in her life. She fell in love with a boy named James B. Combs. He was five years older and for reasons unknown broke up with her. But because of this, she wasn’t able to commit to just one man again for a very long time. Although, she did get married to fellow journalist Ferdinand Lee Barnett in 1895. Thanks to her fiery temper she also had a confrontation with President Hooper, who expelled her from the University because of it. But she was able to enroll in a new college to further her education.
Yellow Fever hit her homeland, and because of it, she lost both her parents and younger brother. Her siblings were young and on their own. So, she did the only thing she thought she could. She dropped out of school and made herself to look older than she was. So she could take care of her siblings herself. She managed to fake her age and take the teaching exam, which she passed, and made a living as a teacher to support her siblings at a school right down the street from where she lived.[5] She used got to use all that love and determination she learned from her parents to not only take care of herself, but to be there for her family and others in need. Can you imagine being sixteen years old, dropping out of school and taking care of five children?
Ida has had all these struggles in her life, but she persevered and was able to survive and thrive throughout her life because of these experiences and the things she’s learned. But she still kept that fiery temper of her. And she controlled and used it to become an anti-lynching activist that we know today.
[1] McMurry, Linda O.. To Keep the Waters Troubled : The Life of Ida B. Wells. Oxford UP, 2000. See page 8.
[2] Ibid. See page 9.
[3] Ibid. See page 11
[4] Ibid. See page 14
[5] Ritchie, Joy, and Ronald, Kate, eds. Pitt Comp Literacy Culture : Available Means : An Anthology Of Women'S Rhetoric(s). University of Pittsburgh Press, 2001. See page 188.
Ida B. Wells is a woman from a rough upbringing, yet she accomplished so much in her life time. I believe the "fiery temper" of her's was what kept her going despite the oppression she faced. By attending college, she not only benefited herself, but was used as a role model and a race icon for future generations. Ida is similar to Malala Youzsafzai in her book, I Am Malala. Both Ida and Malala were driven by oppression they faced from the people around them. Both used it as fuel that powered them forward. Ida and Malala both wanted education eqaulity and fought for it their entire lives. What do you think drove Ida's drive and attitude?
ReplyDelete-Evan
Honestly, I think a huge part of Ida's drive and attitude is because of the way she was raised and because of her parents. They were so important to her and she lost them so young... It's so sad, but despite that she was able to do what she had to do in order to take care of her younger siblings. Which is truly inspiring! She was even willing to lie about her age and drop out to get a job. Family seems to be one of her top motivators. At least that's what I think!
DeleteI love reading about how Ida B. Wells was willing to bend the rules and not succumb simply because she was a black woman. From enrolling in college, to confronting a president, and even faking her age to benefit her future, this incredible black woman pulled all the stops and created a successful life for herself as the child of two former slaves. I was reminded of Antigone, of the famous Greek play, who had a similar fiery spirit. Despite societal expectations of her, Antigone did only what she believed was right, and what would give her peace. I really appreciate how you focused on her childhood, as readers often don't learn of what led a historic figure to their actions. How were Ida's parents able to support her pursuit of education, if they most likely were alongside her in academic level?
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I now really want to see this "Antigone" play, I never heard of it before and I'm interested! Her father actually helped create Shaw/Rust College where she first went. It was a college for newly freed slaves. So she had an in right from the start! Sadly, that did not help her lately when fighting with the President... and by the time she got back into her education after that, she had to drop out at the young age of 16 to take care of her family when he parents died.
DeleteIda B. Wells was able to do so much in her lifetime, especially based on the time period. She overcame so many boundaries because she set her mind to it and did not care about what others though of her. She went above and beyond expectations set for her race and color and did things many people would not. This is similar to Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, who did not care what others thought of her because she did not dress or act like a lady. Both ignored boundaries set up for them and did what benefited them the most. What do you think influenced Ida to push past these boundaries, other than her parents encouraging her to go to school?
ReplyDeleteIda was truly an inspiring women, that's why I just had to pick her from the start! And I loved Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird" she was my favorite in that book.. I always wanted to act more like her. I think Ida saw what she had and saw what others had, which wasn't much, and strived for more. When her family was freed from slavery she knew she had a chance to do something more with her life. She had nothing to lose and she just went for it! She knew she could have just as much as anyone else if she worked hard enough. And she certainly did it.
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ReplyDeleteAs I read this, I found it very inspiring and her determination honestly amazes me. Even under the extreme circumstances and obstacles she faced throughout her life, Ida B. Wells went on and became an even stronger woman. I also feel like focusing on her childhood was a very unique way of doing this project, and still, this seems to have made more of an impact. The obstacles she faced and responsibilities she had to take on were unfortunate, but they give so much more meaning to her achievements and emphasize how hard she had to work. Wells reminds me of Scout Finch from the book To Kill A Mockingbird because of how resilient they both are. The book also focuses on Scout's childhood, and so they are an apt comparison. Ida B. Wells made an impact on those around her life, and Scout did so in small ways while trying to be strong. Despite the obstacles, they both stayed determined to stick to their ideas and managed to do so with Wells having a major impact. What inspired you to write about Ida B. Wells's childhood rather than her accomplishments, and do you think things would have been majorly different if her parents had not died prematurely?
ReplyDeleteSecond person to compare her to Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and I'm honestly so happy you guys are making the same connections, that's so cool! I'm a big believer that your family and childhood heavily impact the way you can be as an adult. Her parents were huge influences in her life. And losing them at sixteen years old had to have changed her forever. She had to grow up real fast. Dropping out of school, lying about her age, getting a job as a teacher. All to take care of her family and do it all by herself. If her parents were around she probably wouldn't have had to grow up so fast! And of course things would have been different. There's no telling how, but losing them made her much more independent and driven.
DeleteI absolutely love the way you've told Ida's story. I've never heard her background, and so I adore how you have gone to show people not just the fiery, activist side of her but also the compassionate, sisterly side. It really does her justice and makes her accomplishments even more prominent. She sounds like a really determined woman, and learning that she dropped out of school at 16 and got a teaching job to provide for her siblings is shocking to me. As a 16 year old with 4 siblings, I cannot imagine doing that. I really admire her compassion.
ReplyDeleteIda reminds me greatly of Scout Finch, main character of the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" because though they both have a fiery side to them, it often comes out in defense of those they care about. Both girls are full of passion but also have a soft side. I really admire that.
Would you consider writing a continuation of this article telling of her works as an activist? I would love to learn more about her.
Thanks! - Rory
Third person to compare her to Scout, wow! I'm so happy about that. A continuation!? I never thought of that, to be honest. But if I can't, there are so amazing novels out there about her. "To Keep the Waters Troubled : The Life of Ida B. Wells" and the section of Ida in "Available Means : An Anthology Of Women'S Rhetoric(s)" was what I read and got most of my information of, if you're interested in some further reading asap! It would probably take me some time to continue, if I did!
DeleteIda B. Wells' story of overcoming set backs and persevering to achieve the education her parents so desperately wanted for her is truly inspiring. It makes me incredibly grateful to be alive right now, since I have equal opportunity to receive an education, unlike many who lived during the 19th century. Wells is very similar to the character Scout Finch from the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. From an early age, both Scout and Wells were able to read and write. Wells went through many hardships in her life, and seemingly handled them to the best of her ability without letting others influence her. This stubbornness and determination is the same as Scout's in the novel. Although I do wish that there was more information on what exactly Wells accomplished in life, I also like how you provided such a moving background about her life. Why did you choose to highlight Well's early life over her accomplishments as an activist, and did this decision make it harder find the information you were searching for?
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating that a majority of your classmates all made the same connection to Scout as you did, I hadn't even thought about her, but maybe because it's been so long since I read "To Kill A Mockingbird" but still, wow! I decided to highlight her early life because nobody ever talks about it. It's so easy for people to just talk about the accomplishments of a "famous person in history" and I aimed to tell a different story about her. The way we grow up and the things we experience are a big part of how somebody is shaped into the adult they become. I wanted to show Ida's influences that made her into the women she became. But yes, it was a big challenge finding all the information possible about her early life, but I learned a lot in doing so and hopefully you did, too!
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