Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells
Mary Garrity / [Public Domain] via Wikimedia

Ida B. Wells once said "All people were created to be equal under God". She believed that one day, everyone would be equal no matter the color of their skin. Her perseverance showed how much she loved her people and her freedom.

Wells was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on July 16th, 1862. Ida was one of eight children. In 1878 her parents died of yellow fever. She tried to keep the family together, though it did not last long after she got her first teaching job. The youngest two children (her favorites) passed away, and the rest were sent to work. Knowing her beloved siblings were in the good hands of God and close relatives, Ida started her lifelong journey for enfranchisement.

Anybody can be a hero, but what made Ida B. Wells different was that her way to make a big difference went unnoticed. Wells inspired African Americans by submitting articles to colored newspapers. She used "I’d Be Well" as her alias. She secretly transported African American lynch victims to the northern states where there was less discrimination. Ida freed innocent prisoners by reporting the truth of the many riots. She helped her family and friends through hard times. She was a true hero who took action.

Ida faced many challenges. Her first was in 1884 before going to work. She refused to get off a white train. Wells often got sent to jail. Ida also got caught between family and cause. When her family needed her most, so did someone she was trying to help. These burdens did not faze her, though, for she still remained strong.

Wells had three main character traits: determination, strong beliefs and dedication. She was determined throughout her whole life to make blacks and whites equal under God. Ida believed that everyone should be equal. She believed that women should vote and that slavery was very wrong. Last, but not least, Wells was dedicated to help her people. At age forty, Ida B. Wells ran four organizations to help colored people find jobs. She joined many marches, protests and women’s clubs to help females get the right to vote. Unlike others, Wells pursued her cause by contributing to and joining organizations to benefit enfranchisement.

Even though Ida B. Wells is not the most famous person in the world, she still made a difference. That is why Ida B. Wells is my hero.