ABSTRACT
Born Ida Bell Wells, Wells-Barnett was a notable journalist, activist, suffragist, and researcher, who spent her life fighting against racism and sexism. Her strong writing and communication skills allowed her to bring attention to the treatment of the Black community in the South. In 1884, Wells’ life changed. She was famously thrown off a train traveling from Memphis to Nashville, Tennessee. The incident occurred when Wells refused to leave the first-class ladies’ car and move to the segregated car for African-Americans, which was known as the “Jim Crow” car. Wells-Barnett continued to draw attention to lynching of Black Americans by traveling internationally and educating others on the situation within the United States. Undaunted, Wells-Barnett founded the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs to address civil rights and women's suffrage issues. In the final days of her career, Wells-Barnett focused on urban reform in Chicago.
