Home / Authors / Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells Quotes

Journalist

Ida B. Wells was an American journalist, teacher, and activist who played a crucial role in the civil rights movement. She is best known for her investigative reporting on the lynching of African Americans and her advocacy for women's rights.

Filter quotes by topic

All Lynching Men Afros Law Murder White White Man Knows Race Country Home Ifs Should Should Have Way African American Black Crime Has Beens Injustice

Famous Ida B. Wells Quotes

“Thus lynch law held sway in the far West until civilization spread into the Territories and the orderly processes of law took its place. The emergency no longer existing, lynching gradually disappeared from the West.”

Law Process Civilization West Spread Territory Emergencies Orderly Lynching

Author:Ida B. Wells

“Lynching is color line murder.”

Lines Color Murder Lynching

Author:Ida B. Wells

“Our country's national crime is lynching. It is not the creature of an hour, the sudden outburst of uncontrolled fury, or the unspeakable brutality of an insane mob.”

Country Hours Crime Creatures Insane Our Country Fury Brutality Unspeakable Lynching Outburst

Author:Ida B. Wells

“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.”

Body Cutting Century Ears Fingers Crowds Flesh Portions Toes Nineteenth Century Lynching Souvenirs

Author:Ida B. Wells

“Brave men do not gather by thousands to torture and murder a single individual, so gagged and bound he cannot make even feeble resistance or defense.”

Men Individual Murder Bravery Brave Bounds Defense Resistance Torture Brave Man Lynching

Author:Ida B. Wells

“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.”

Matter Moments Party Crime Tables Punishment Deserving Capital Punishment Lynching Accusing Small Moments

Author:Ida B. Wells

“Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the many moral and philanthropic forces of the country to put a stop to this wholesale slaughter.”

Years Has Beens Country Lasts Force Numbers Effort Moral Twenties Slaughter Philanthropic Lynching Wholesale Barbarity

Author:Ida B. Wells

“The alleged menace of universal suffrage having been avoided by the absolute suppression of the negro vote, the spirit of mob murder should have been satisfied and the butchery of negroes should have ceased.”

Should Has Beens Spirit Should Have Vote Universal Murder Absolutes Satisfied Avoided Should Have Been Menace Suppression Suffrage Lynching Universal Suffrage Butchery

Book:The Light of Truth: Writings of an Anti-Lynching Crusader

Source: The Light of Truth: Writings of an Anti-Lynching Crusader

“There is nothing we can do about the lynching now, as we are out-numbered and without arms.”

Can Do Arms Lynching

Book:Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells

Source: Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells

“No nation, savage or civilized, save only the United States of America, has confessed its inability to protect its women save by hanging, shooting, and burning alleged offenders”

States America Nations Women United United States Protect Burning Shooting Civilized Fierce Savages United States Of America Inability Offenders Lynching

Author:Ida B. Wells

“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.”

Knows Way Heart Stories Lynching Mouthpiece

Book:Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells

Source: Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells

“The negro has suffered far more from the commission of this crime against the women of his race by white men than the white race has ever suffered through his crimes.”

Men Women White Race Crime White Man Lynching White Race

Author:Ida B. Wells

“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.”

Men Humans Kind Facts Political Women Human Beings Judging Men And Women Murder Excuse All Kinds Offense Jury Lynching Wholesale Misdemeanors

Author:Ida B. Wells

About the Author

Born: July 16, 1862
Died: March 25, 1931
Known for: Journalist
Quotes: 40

Books & Sources

Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. WellsRelated source material

On LynchingsRelated source material

The Light of Truth: Writings of an Anti-Lynching CrusaderRelated source material

The Red Record: Top Crime CollectionsRelated source material

Selected Works of Ida B. Wells-BarnettRelated source material

Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases: Easyread Large Bold EditionRelated source material

Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases: Easyread Super Large 20pt EditionRelated source material

Similar Authors

Aviva CantorBrowse related quotes
Malcolm XBrowse related quotes
Fred ShuttlesworthBrowse related quotes
Charles DiggsBrowse related quotes
Frantz FanonBrowse related quotes
Ice PrinceBrowse related quotes
Ben KlassenBrowse related quotes
Carter G. WoodsonBrowse related quotes
Marcus GarveyBrowse related quotes
Jacques VergesBrowse related quotes