Born on July 16, 1862, Ida B. Wells was a formidable crusader against lynching and an active participant in the women's rights and suffrage movements, establishing several notable women's organizations.

In a pivotal act of resistance 71 years before Rosa Parks, she refused to give up her seat on a train and was forcibly removed. This incident propelled her into civil rights activism, and she sued the railroad, winning a $500 settlement.

Wells became a public figure in Memphis through her journalism, writing for "The Living Way," and later became the first Black woman paid as a correspondent in Europe.

Ida B. Wells passed away in 1931 at 68 years old. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices