May 30, 1974
Ida B. Wells-Barnett House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: It is difficult to explain today why few American history texts list lda B. Wells Barnett among the crusading journalists of the late 19th and early 20th century who through their "muckraking" laid the foundation for the reforms of the Progressive Era. Perhaps the absence of demonstrable progress in racial justice in the early decodes of the 20th century shows more than anything else how little the notion 's concerns were aroused in this area. Al most single-handedly Ida B. Wells Barnett began the fight to awoken the world's conscience to the realities of lynching. She said, "We plead not for the colored people alone, but for oi l victims of the terrible injustice which puts men and women to death without form of low." She deplored the growth of such "anarchy" and "unrestrained outlawry" of dangerous to any civilized government. So much about the lynching phenomenon was unmentionable e, surrounded of it was by o web of taboos, that it is difficult to fully appreciate today the cl ear thinking courage it took to adopt as one's goo! the consistent expose of all relevant facts as the first step toward social reform. This Ida Wells did and a famous contemporary, himself a stalwart in the civil rights movement, summed up her role: "She roused the white South to vigorous and bitter defense and she began the awakening of the conscience of the notion. This work has been easily forgotten because it was afterward token up on o much larger scale by the NAACP and carried to greater success. Bu t our thanks are due to the pioneer. Ida Wells Barnett characterized lynching as "our Notional crime. " She pointed out three salient points: first, lynching was o "col or line problem," second, "crimes against women [was] the excuse, not the cause" and thirdly, lynching was " national crime" thot required a "notional remedy ." She urged block organizations to help investigate and publish the facts, to "get expressions of opinion against lynching" and to try to influence doilies to refuse to become accessories to mob action.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: It is difficult to explain today why few American history texts list lda B. Wells Barnett among the crusading journalists of the late 19th and early 20th century who through their "muckraking" laid the foundation for the reforms of the Progressive Era. Perhaps the absence of demonstrable progress in racial justice in the early decodes of the 20th century shows more than anything else how little the notion 's concerns were aroused in this area. Al most single-handedly Ida B. Wells Barnett began the fight to awoken the world's conscience to the realities of lynching. She said, "We plead not for the colored people alone, but for oi l victims of the terrible injustice which puts men and women to death without form of low." She deplored the growth of such "anarchy" and "unrestrained outlawry" of dangerous to any civilized government. So much about the lynching phenomenon was unmentionable e, surrounded of it was by o web of taboos, that it is difficult to fully appreciate today the cl ear thinking courage it took to adopt as one's goo! the consistent expose of all relevant facts as the first step toward social reform. This Ida Wells did and a famous contemporary, himself a stalwart in the civil rights movement, summed up her role: "She roused the white South to vigorous and bitter defense and she began the awakening of the conscience of the notion. This work has been easily forgotten because it was afterward token up on o much larger scale by the NAACP and carried to greater success. Bu t our thanks are due to the pioneer. Ida Wells Barnett characterized lynching as "our Notional crime. " She pointed out three salient points: first, lynching was o "col or line problem," second, "crimes against women [was] the excuse, not the cause" and thirdly, lynching was " national crime" thot required a "notional remedy ." She urged block organizations to help investigate and publish the facts, to "get expressions of opinion against lynching" and to try to influence doilies to refuse to become accessories to mob action.
May 30, 1974
Posted Date
Apr 08, 2022
Historical Record Date
May 30, 1974
Source Name
United States Department of Interior - National Park Service
