Political Pioneer of the Press

Until the 1970s, Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862–1931)—like so many prominent women in journalism and politics—was a forgotten figure in American culture. This edited volume takes a fresh look at this daring African-American woman who tirelessly advocated for the rights of women, minorities, and members of the working class.

Lori Amber Roessner is associate professor at the University of Tennessee's School of Journalism & Electronic Media. Jodi Rightler-McDaniels is the senior general studies department chair and associate professor of communication at South College in Knoxville.

Foreword: Ida & Me: A Call to Performance Chandra D. Snell Clark Introduction Lori Amber Roessner & Jodi L. Rightler-McDaniels Part I: Ida B. Wells & "The Strange Career" of a Political Pioneer of the Press: Communicating a Social Justice Crusade Chapter 1: Training the Pen: Ida B. Wells' Journalistic Efforts to Combat Emerging Jim-Crow Laws in Transportation Norma Fay Green Chapter 2: "A Hearing in the Press": Ida B. Wells' Lecture Tour of 1893-4 Joe Hayden Chapter 3: Communicating an Anti-Lynching Crusade: The Voice, the Writings, and the Power of Ida B. Wells-Barnett's Public Relations Campaign Jinx Coleman Broussard Chapter 4: "The Modern Joan [of] Arc": Press Coverage of Ida B. Wells-Barnett's Campaign for Woman's Suffrage Lori Amber Roessner Chapter 5: The Life of a Political Agitator: Ida B. Wells-Barnett's Transition from a National Activist to a Local Reformer Kris DuRocher Part II: Mightier than the Sword: Discourse on the Life & Legacy of Ida B. Wells-Barnett Ch