The Ida B. Wells video dwells upon social and economical segregation of African Americans in the United States in the late nineteenth century. The video describes horrors of lynching and tells a story about a woman who had the courage to reveal the truth to the rest of the world and to struggle against racial segregation.
Wells was born in Holly Springs (Mississippi) in 1862 to a family of former slaves (Ida B. Wells Part One). Obviously, she witnessed the injustice that African Americans had to face. She started her teaching career at one of local schools. However, she was dismissed soon after she wrote about poor conditions of students. After she was fired she started writing about the life (or rather hardships) of African Americans. She visited different places in the county and revealed different cases of injustice.
In 1892 she found out about the case of lynching. Three African American males who ran a business were lynched in Memphis. Wells knew those people personally. This case made her start a struggle against lynching. She wrote about numerous cases of lynching, she told the whole truth about segregation. It is important to note that she advised African Americans to pack up and leave the places where they were not wanted (Ida B. Wells Part Two).
In fact, this was a very wise decision as Blacks obtained a chance to start a new life while Whites faced economical problems due to the lack of workforce. Apart from giving some pieces of advice to African Americans, Wells started a campaign against lynching. She created certain houses where young African Americans (especially women) coming to Chicago could live until they found their feet (Ida B. Wells Part Three). This kind of support was essential for many people.
Of course, Wells wrote articles, she gave speeches. She even travelled to England to make her speeches. She managed to make people worldwide aware of the horrors of lynching. Due to her writings and speeches, people of England (and the rest of the world) condemned Americans involved in lynching. It is important to note that all her articles were well-grounded.
Whenever she heard of some cases of injustice, she went there and checked all the details. She went to jails if necessary, just to find out the whole truth. Obviously, one of her most important writings is “The Red Record” based on a three-year research. She revealed precise figures (the number of murders) which were provided in white newspapers, so no one could accuse her of being biased.
Professor Calderon also mentions that Wells played a very important role in the struggle against lynching and racial segregation. Calderon also provides a description of African Americans’ life at that period, which she called “pseudo slavery”. “Pseudo slavery” is not proper slavery as people are claimed to be equal, though in reality African Americans could not use their rights. Calderon states that even though equality was proclaimed “African Americans throughout the South were second class citizens” (4).
There were many examples that “pseudo slavery” existed. For instance, many states enacted laws which deprived African Americans from the right to vote. Grandfather Clause stated that people whose grandfathers were slaves could not have the right to vote. Of course, the vast majority of African Americans were deprived of their rights to vote in this case as they were descendants from former slaves. Of course, Wells document on “Lynch Law” provided many examples that could prove that pseudo slavery existed.
Of course, if all African Americans could use their rights in accordance with 14 and 15 Amendments they would change their lives for better as they could influence political life in the cities they lived in. They could choose representatives who would fight for their rights, who would struggle against segregation and lynching. Unfortunately, African Americans could not use their rights fully, so they had to struggle for many years to achieve true equality.