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The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the crowd.

Ida B. Wells

In slave times the Negro was kept subservient and submissive by the frequency and severity of the scourging, but, with freedom, a new system of intimidation came into vogue; the Negro was not only whipped and scourged; he was killed.
IDA B. WELLS

Country Freedom Frequency Kept People Scourging Severity Slave Submissive Time
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
One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap.
IDA B. WELLS

Better Die Dog Had Injustice Like One Rat Trap
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
I had already determined to sell my life as dearly as possible if attacked. I felt if I could take one lyncher with me, this would even up the score a little bit.
IDA B. WELLS

Already Attack Bit Clearly Determine Little Lynch Possible Score Sell Take
What becomes a crime deserving capital punishment when the tables are turned is a matter of small moment when the negro woman is the accusing party.
IDA B. WELLS

Accuse Become Capital Country Crime Deserve Matter Osment Party Punishment Small Table Turn Women
The lesson this teaches and which every Afro-American should ponder well, is that a Winchester rifle should have a place of honor in every black home, and it should be used for that protection which the law refuses to give.
IDA B. WELLS

Black Country Every Home Honor Lessons People Person Pinder Place Protection Refuse Teacher Well
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 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
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
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
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
The Afro-American is not a bestial race.
IDA B. WELLS

Bestial Country Race
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 more the Afro-American yields and cringes and begs, the more he has to do so, the more he is insulted, outraged and lynched.
IDA B. WELLS

Country Cringe Do Insult Lynch More Outrage To Yield
The South resented giving the Afro-American his freedom, the ballot box and the Civil Rights Law.
IDA B. WELLS

Box Civil Rights Country Freedom Give Law Resented South Vballot

The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the crowd.

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The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the crowd.

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Popular Authors

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