To Keep the Waters Troubled

The Life of Ida B. Wells

Author: Linda O. McMurry
ISBN: 9780195139273

In the generation that followed Frederick Douglass, no African American was more prominent, or more outspoken, than Ida B. Wells. Seriously considered as a rival to W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington for race leadership, Wells' career began amidst controversy when she sued a Tennessee railroad company for ousting her from a first class car, a legal battle which launched her lifelong commitment to journalism and activism. In the 1890s, Wells focused her eloquence on the horrors of lynching, exposing it as a widespread form of racial terrorism. Backing strong words with strong actions, she lectured in the States and abroad, arranged legal representation for black prisoners, hired investigators, founded anti-lynching leagues, sought recourse from Congress, and more. Wells was an equally forceful advocate for women's rights, but parted ways with feminist allies who would subordinate racial justice to their cause. Using diary entries, letters, and published writings, McMurry illuminate

Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publish Date: 2000

Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Cultural Heritage, History / United States / 19th Century, Social Science / Ethnic Studies / African American Studies

This book is available in the following Community Centers: Women's Center (Location: Biography/Autobiography)