Crusade for Justice

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

by Ida B. Wells, edited by Alfreda M. Duster, foreword by Eve L. Ewing, afterword by Michelle Duster

University of Chicago Press, 2020
Paper: 978-0-226-69142-8 | Electronic: 978-0-226-69156-5
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226691565.001.0001

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ABOUT THIS BOOKAUTHOR BIOGRAPHYREVIEWSTABLE OF CONTENTS

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 BIOGRAPHY

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

Foreword by Eve L. Ewing

Foreword to the 1970 Edition by John Hope Franklin

Introduction by Alfreda M. Duster

Preface

1. Born into Slavery

2. Hard Beginnings

3. New Opportunities

4. Iola

5. The Free Speech Days

6. Lynching at the Curve

7. Leaving Memphis Behind

8. At the Hands of a Mob

9. To Tell the Truth Freely

10. The Homesick Exile

11. Light from the Human Torch

12. Through England and Scotland

13. Breaking the Silent Indifference

14. An Indiscreet Letter

15. Final Days in London

16. “To the Seeker of Truth”

17. Inter-Ocean Letters

18. In Liverpool

19. In Manchester

20. In Bristol

21. Newcastle Notes

22. Memories of London

23. “You Can’t Change the Record”

24. Last Days in Britain

25. A Regrettable Interview

26. Remembering English Friends

27. Susan B. Anthony

28. Ungentlemanly and Unchristian

29. Satin and Orange Blossoms

30. A Divided Duty

31. Again in the Public Eye

32. New Projects

33. Club Life and Politics

34. A Negro Theater

35. Negro Fellowship League

36. Illinois Lynchings

37. NAACP

38. Steve Green and “Chicken Joe” Campbell

39. Seeking the Negro Vote

40. Protest to the Governor

41. World War I and the Negro Soldiers

42. The Equal Rights League

43. East Saint Louis Riot

44. Arkansas Riot

45. The Tide of Hatred

46. The Price of Liberty

Afterword by Michelle Duster

Bibliography

Index