Born a slave in 1862, Ida B. Wells went on to become one of our nation's earliest civil rights leaders. She helped found the National Associaton for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and fought for women's voting rights. In 1892, Ida began a crusade that would prove to be her main life's work. Through her writing and her speaking engagements, she carried out a national campaign against the intolerable practice of lynching--the hanging, burning or shooting of a person without a trial. Her outspokenness put her in grave danger time and time again, but Ida would not be silenced. By the time of her death in 1931, lynching in the United States had disappeared almost entirely, due largely to her efforts. Here Dennis and Judith Fradin thoughtfully recount the achievements of Ida B. Wells, the spiritual mother of the civil rights movement, bringing this strong and intelligent woman vividly to life. Striking archival photographs and prints appear throughout this well researched and accessible book. Recommended for ages 10 to 14.
