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The only times an Afro-American who was assaulted got away has been when he had a gun and used it in self-defense.

Ida B. Wells

White men lynch the offending Afro-American, not because he is a despoiler of virtue, but because he succumbs to the smiles of white women.
IDA B. WELLS

Country Despoiler Lynch Men Offend Smile Succumb Virtue White Women
The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.
IDA B. WELLS

Act Before Compare Educator Know Must People Press
The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.
IDA B. WELLS

Light Right Them Truth Turn Upon Way Wrong
Somebody must show that the Afro-American race is more sinned against than sinning, and it seems to have fallen upon me to do so.
IDA B. WELLS

Against Country Fallen Upon Know More Race Seem Sinned Sinning Somebody
Lynching is color line murder.
IDA B. WELLS

Color Line Lynching Murde
I am only a mouthpiece through which to tell the story of lynching and I have told it so often that I know it by heart. I do not have to embellish; it makes its own way.
IDA B. WELLS

Emblis Heart Know Lynching Make Mouthpiece Often Only Own Story Told Way
The miscegenation laws of the South only operate against the legitimate union of the races; they leave the white man free to seduce all the colored girls he can, but it is death to the colored man who yields to the force and advances of a similar attraction in white women.
IDA B. WELLS

Against Attract Free Law Leave Legitimate Man Miscegenation Only Operate Race Seduce South Union White Women
The Afro-American is not a bestial race. If this work can contribute in any way towards proving this, and at the same time arouse the conscience of the American people to a demand for justice to every citizen, and punishment by law for the lawless,
IDA B. WELLS

Arouse Bestial Contribute Country Demand Every Law People Prove Punishment Race Same Time Towards Way Work
Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the many moral and philanthropic forces of the country to put a stop to this wholesale slaughter.
IDA B. WELLS

Although Barbarity Daughter During Effort For Increase Last Lynching Number Philanthropic Single Steadily Twenty Year
The doors of churches, hotels, concert halls and reading rooms are alike closed against the Negro as a man, but every place is open to him as a servant.
IDA B. WELLS

Against Alike Church Close Concert Country Door Hall Hotel Open People Person Place Raedm Room Servant
The only times an Afro-American who was assaulted got away has been when he had a gun and used it in self-defense.
IDA B. WELLS

Assault Been Country Defense Gum Only Self Time Used
I came home every Friday afternoon, riding the six miles on the back of a big mule. I spent Saturday and Sunday washing and ironing and cooking for the children and went back to my country school on Sunday afternoon.
IDA B. WELLS

Afternoon Back Big Came Every Friday Home Mile Mothing Mule
In fact, for all kinds of offenses – and, for no offenses – from murders to misdemeanors, men and women are put to death without judge or jury; so that, although the political excuse was no longer necessary, the wholesale murder of human beings went on just the same.
IDA B. WELLS

All Death Fact Judge Jury Kind Men Misdemeanors Murder Offense Put Without Women
The South is brutalized to a degree not realized by its own inhabitants, and the very foundation of government, law and order, are imperilled.
IDA B. WELLS

Brutalized Degree Foundation Government Inhabitantm Very Law Order Own Realize South
Thus lynch law held sway in the far West until civilization spread into the Territories and the orderly processes of law took its place.
IDA B. WELLS

Held Law Lynch Orderly Place Process Spread Sway Territories Took Until West
When the white man who is always the aggressor knows he runs as great a risk of biting the dust every time his Afro-American victim does, he will have greater respect for Afro-American life.
IDA B. WELLS

Aggressor Biting Country Duet Dust Every Greatest Hite Life Man Respect Time

The only times an Afro-American who was assaulted got away has been when he had a gun and used it in self-defense.

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The only times an Afro-American who was assaulted got away has been when he had a gun and used it in self-defense.

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