Ida B. Wells is seen to stand out among all other women who lived in her time. This is credited to her special character traits of being wise, courageous, responsible and vocal. These unique characteristics make her different from others. What makes someone to be termed as unusual? This question best introduces this write up about Ida B. Wells a woman who lived in the nineteenth century. Being unusual can be best described as having unique character traits or rather having a behavior that is distinct from the rest. Ida is a good example of the aforementioned description. The uniqueness of Ida is established from a young responsible child to a prominent history-making women activist amongst many other accomplishments.
She begins at the age of sixteen when she worked as a teacher and later climbed up the ladder to becoming a journalist. The intrusion of yellow fever was a major item that caused a shift in her manner of doing things to being a unique woman compared to the rest in her time. The first thing was to live with her grandmother which kept her safe and alive to work for her siblings. She refused to give up on her siblings being raised in a foster home as advised by her father friends and chose to get work to provide for them. Wells was wise enough to know means that could keep her alive which is seen when she uses the freight train rather than the passenger whose conductors had died. Ida grew up as an independent, self-responsible and selfless person. Ida amazes how she fooled the protocols in the teaching department that she was older. Ida is diligent enough that she had prepared for the tests even without going to school and passed the board tests to being a qualified teacher.
Her exceptional organizational skills are seen when she is able to organize who will take care of her siblings in her absence. Her grandmother together with her mother’s friend are in charge as she takes over the household chores on weekends. Ida is a high spirited woman who is confident to maneuver in every circumstance by providing for herself and her siblings. Ida has an excellent personality that is able to interact with other people such as Bishop Henry, political figures including Frances, Blanche and Fredrick Douglas, creative writer’s public speakers, and community activists. She is an all-around personality who apart from career enjoyed music gave recitations, participated in debates wrote essays and even became an editor. As an activist, Wells sued Southwestern Railroad Company for infringement of her rights just because she was a woman and won in the first round but later lost rights due to Africans discrimination. The quote ‘In her repudiation of the charges brought by Miss Ida Wells against white women as having taken the initiative in nameless crimes between the races’ shows that she is among the few women who spoke against the discrimination of African American citizens.
In a matter of time, she had great achievements which could not be compared to that of any other African American woman. Ida was a bold woman who spoke the truth, a respected journalist, an office holder in her professional organization and a renowned businesswoman. She is a strong woman who even when faced with tough situations like the ransacking of her office and being forced into exile, Ida did not give up but chose to speak even further and reveal the injustices happening by launching ant lynching campaigns from New York. Her courage promoted her from a regional personality to a national than an international figure. Ida was a remarkable woman who operated in a men’s region of specialization. Wells’ works were recognized by American women Victoria Earle Mathews of New York and Maricha Lyons of Brooklyn who decided to honor her by bringing together African American women where she received funds and admiration as she received a gold pen shaped brooch.
Wells’ testimonial dinner proved that the seeds of organized reform policies had been established at the national level. She witnessed as St Pierre Ruffin who was a journalist and a writer at England’s Press association together with her daughter came up with the first monthly magazine published by African American women for themselves and their fellow women counterparts. Boston women era club was also established which a carrier for political and social reform messages became. It also addressed health, fashion education opportunities, lynching and women’s participation in community development. In conclusion, it is evident that whatever Ida performed during her lifetime was so much distinct, therefore, making her unique. Her efforts were not in vain since she created awareness of the potential in which a woman has no wonder she is being remembered up to date.
