Ida Wells (later Wells-Barnett) was a prominent journalist, activist, and researcher, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In her lifetime, she battled sexism, racism, and violence. As a skilled writer, Wells-Barnett also used her skills as a journalist to shed light on the conditions of African Americans throughout the South.
Ida B. Wells earns her farthest-right spot on the graph because of her vehement, uncompromising expose of false lynching narratives. Her groundbreaking research and testimonials illuminate the every-day nature of horrific violence, and work directly against prejudiced explanations for murders of often-innocent black men, earning her 3 on our Radical Ideas scale. Her career as black female publisher, single status, and unapologetic outspokenness are all radical qualities that resulted in both angry outburst from critics during her time, and establish her methods score to be a 4.