"A PROPHET FOR OUR TIME"

 “A PROPHET FOR OUR TIME”

In my abbreviated blog this week, I want to remind everyone that tomorrow (Saturday, July 16) is the 160th anniversary of one of the great American prophets, Ida B. Wells-Barnett.  In many ways, hers is the American story of possibility and hard work:  she was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but by the time of her death, she was one of the most famous people in America.  In many ways, her story is the American story racism and sexism:  because she was a Black woman, her witness was deeply resisted and almost forgotten in history.  Yet, thanks to the efforts of her daughter Alfreda Duster and now her great-grandchildren Michelle and Dan Duster, Ida B. Wells is having her moment in history, as her powerful witness is remembered and celebrated.

Wells fought her way into the American consciousness, and she kept fighting until she passed in 1931.  Although she was a “race” woman, she was just as strongly a crusader for women’s rights, for an end to war, and for justice for all, no matter one’s class status.  Though she was anti-war, she did not espouse non-violence as a way of life.  She told all Black families to keep a Winchester rifle in their homes so that they could protect themselves in case white folks came for them.  Indeed, in one of the many times that her life was threatened, she proclaimed that they might get her, but she would take as many of the attackers as she could with her into death.

She grew up in the chaos of Reconstruction, but she heard from her parents and from her culture and church that her primary definition was “child of God.”  This belief carried her through the tidal wave of white supremacy and racism that swept away Reconstruction and that re-established neo-slavery.  Her strong and insightful and persistent voice makes her such a vital prophet for our time, as we tremble on the precipice of a tsunami of white, male supremacy seeking to reassert itself.  Her life and witness are a powerful tool for us in our time.

If you want to know more about Ida B. Wells, see the award-winning book that Dr. Catherine Meeks and I co-authored:  “Passionate for Justice:  Ida B. Wells as Prophet for Our Time.”  Her great granddaughter Michelle Duster also has a fine book about her and about her witness for both racial and gender justice: “Ida B the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells.”  There is also a much longer bio of her by Paula Giddings entitled “Ida: A Sword Among Lions.”  Or, in the modern age, just “google” her, and you will find all kinds of information.

So, please, tomorrow raise a glass to Ida B. Wells – give thanks for her life and witness. May her spirit speak forth now in our time of need, giving us courage and determination and vision.