To a degree, large segments of the white population used this as a way of asserting superiority and to show that the white race was moral while the black race was not.
That this was achieved by murder was an irony that Wells-Barnett found to be horrible and frightening. Her outrage never flags, and she proves this by pursuing one case after another and writing about the experience so the many victims will not be tarred with the criminal taint the mob wants to place upon them.
Wells-Barnett noted in an editorial in 1892 that many of the lynchings were for "the same old racket -- the new alarm about raping white women" (Wells-Barnett 29). Shew also calls this "the old threadbare lie" that no one believes and that could lead to a public reaction against those white men perpetrating these deeds, as well as against the reputation of their women (Wells-Barnett 29). This argument on both sides shows the way racism and sexism were intertwined and would show a number of forces at work in white society, forces suggesting a social order that was not as stable or as powerful as it wanted to think. The insecurities of the white male after the loss in the Civil War may have been a contributing factor. Open racism was also one of the products of Reconstruction and the belief of many in the South that the North was intent on punishing them for the war. Tensions between the two communities would continue over issues such as employment (with whites believing they had a right to the bet jobs and blacks had no rights at all).
In addition to noting the crimes committed against her race, Wells-Barnett notes ways in which the white power structure would close ranks to protect its own and to demonize African-Americans. She cites various newspaper editorials that supported the idea of lynching,...
She said "there is nothing we can do about the lynching now, as we are out-numbered and without arms (...)There is therefore only one thing left to do; save our money and leave a town." If we look at this first of Ida's protests against lynching, this appears to be a rather fatalistic tone, a tone where she proposes renouncing, not as a way of fighting the injustice, but
The simplification of issues will often cloud the challenges and prevent comprehensive understanding of problems. The third contribution relates to the role of gender and power on a wider scale. Wells-Barnett was able to elucidate an elusive relationship. Power is prepared to evoke gender to accomplish its purposes. Thus, within gendered conflict the overarching power structure is more concerned about maintaining and survival than addressing concerns. Both men and women
Waters Troubled: The Life of Ida B. Wells by Linda O. McMurry. Specifically it will contain a critical review of the book. Ida B. Wells was a black activist who came of age after the Civil War in the American South. She was influential, perhaps one of the most influential black women in American history. The author wanted to portray her history so people would have a greater understanding
Indeed, Billingsley asserts, the black church has been "and is" for blacks in America "the mother of our culture, the champion of our freedom," and the "hallmark" of blacks' "civilization" (Billingsley, 1992, p. 223). Resistance to racism and segregation also came in many small acts through bold and courageous moves by individuals. In Farmville, Virginia, for example, in 1935, Barbara Johns organized students in Robert Russa Moton High School to
intellectual biography of William Edward DuBois. The writer takes the reader on an exploratory journey that details the life of Dubois and his contributions to society and the field of social work. There were five sources used to complete this paper. Since the nation's inception the movement to better understand social sciences has been a driving force behind many of the changes that have taken place. Social sciences provide a
When he became president through the assassination of President Kennedy, he not only accepted the civil rights agenda of President Kennedy but he was successful in passing pivotal legislation. Through shrewd deal making and lobbying of senators he was able to get a bill passed which prohibited segregation in places involved in interstate commerce. The following year when attempts were made to restore voting rights to blacks in the south
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