Ida B. Wells: Intrepid Journalist, Spirited Activist, Powerful Woman
Ida B. Wells was born July 16, 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Wells and her family were enslaved, and it wasn’t until after the Civil War that they were finally set free.
On May 4, 1884, Wells boarded a train with a first class ticket, but was told to move because the first-class seating area was reserved for whites only.
She refused and was forced to vacate her seat. Wells didn’t think it was fair, so she sued the Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern Railroad and won $500 settlement.
Unfortunately, the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned the decision later.
