Crusade for Justice - 2nd Edition by Ida B Wells (Paperback)

About the Book

"Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) is now a Chicago icon and a shining example of fearless grit and truth-telling. Born into slavery, she lost both parents at the age of sixteen and supported five siblings by teaching school. As perhaps the first investigative journalist, she crusaded against lynching and for women's suffrage. She worked with Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony; she co-founded the NAACP and started the Alpha Suffrage Club here in Chicago; she is the first African American woman to have a street named after her in Chicago. This autobiography, edited by Ida B.'s daughter, Afreda Duster, was first published 1970 in a series edited by John Hope Franklin. Alfreda's daughter, Michelle Duster, who has spent years championing her grandmother's memory, has provided a new afterword. We are bringing out the Second Edition to mark the centennial (June, 2020) of Illinois ratifying the 19th amendment, giving women the vote. Wells was active in the suffrage movement. The new edition has been re-designed and includes four new halftones and a new foreword by Eve Ewing"--

Book Synopsis

"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.

Review Quotes

"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"

"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"

"[Wells was] a sophisticated fighter whose prose was as thorough as her intellect."--Walter Goodman "New York Times"

"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"

"No student of black history should overlook Crusade for Justice."--William M. Tuttle, Jr. "Journal of American History"

About the Author

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.