When people name historical figures in activism and feminism, Ida B. Wells often isn’t on their list. She was born ain 1862, but declared free six months into her life due to the Emancipation Proclamation. Growing up in the South and facing racial prejudice on a consistent basis, Wells led an anti-lynching campaign in the 1980s, taking her cause all the way to the White House. Also a journalist, she reported on the subpar conditions of black schools and stood up for civil rights throughout her life.
So when she married in 1895, it’s important that her marriage was announced on the front page of The New York Times.
The Times recalls the small blurb, reminding us that at the time, black people did not have even the most basic civil rights and women still could not vote.
She was a feminist long before it was popular and “a race woman” when the leadership of the growing civil rights organizations of the time were resoundingly male. She refused to be sidelined by white feminist organizations, which worried that working for the equality of black women would slow down progress on rights for white women, and was marginalized by organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which she helped found.
In this current day, where black women are still being criticized for dividing the feminist movement by demanding true intersectionality (beyond the issues plaguing mostly white women) and often ignored by racial movements that mainly focus on black men, this is especially important. Wells refused to be silenced and spoke out against injustice, reaching icon status at the time.
When the day finally came, the 27th of June, 1895, the event was fitting for an icon. “The interest of the public in the affair seemed to be so great that not only was the church filled to overflowing, but the streets surrounding the church were so packed with humanity that it was almost impossible for the carriage bearing the wedding bridal party to reach the church door,” Ms. Wells wrote in her autobiography.
The bridesmaids wore lemon crepe dresses set off with white ribbons, slippers and bows, and the bride strolled down the aisle in a white satin trained gown trimmed with orange blossoms. Newspapers, for both white and black readers, reported on the affair.
She even postponed her wedding three times because the dates didn’t fit in with her activist schedule for speeches and meetings. It’s baffling that this remarkable woman is mentioned so little when discussing the history of feminism and civil rights. But I’m happy that she’s getting recognition now, especially now. We need to ensure that our figures, women that spoke for us specifically, remain in the conversation.
