Thursday, November 17, 2011

Why I Blog


"The people must know before they can act, and there's no educator to compare with the press." 

Ida B. Wells-Barnett, journalist and anti-lynching activist (1862-1931)

5 comments:

veganelder said...

Thank you for information about this outstanding human. I especially liked that she kept her own name when she married and good for her for going after racism in the WCTU.

Excellent, thanks again.

Brotha Wolf said...

She was an important figure in civil rights history.

changeseeker said...

Greetings, all. Thanks for your comments. Wells-Barnett was a tireless and courageous crusader for sure. I don't know about the research you mention, Temple, but I do know that when Cox researched 3,811 "official" (acknowldged) lynchings between 1889 and 1943, he discovered that 83.5% of them had nothing whatsoever to do with sex -- period. They were the result of a Black man having an argument with a White man, quitting his job or talking another Black man into quitting his, attempting to register to vote, etc. And sometimes for no reason at all. Why am I not surprised?

Temple said...

"I don't know about the research you mention, Temple, but I do know that when Cox researched 3,811 "official" (acknowldged) lynchings between 1889 and 1943, he discovered that 83.5% of them had nothing whatsoever to do with sex -- period. They were the result of a Black man having an argument with a White man, quitting his job or talking another Black man into quitting his, attempting to register to vote, etc. And sometimes for no reason at all. Why am I not surprised?"

Thanks for your additional insight & education, Changeseeker. I want to search Cox's research soon. . .I hope (so many reads, too little time). I'm sure that you're busy & that you have a life, but have you had an opportunity to flip through "At the Dark End of the Street?"

changeseeker said...

I've heard of it, Temple, but I haven't read it. From what the website says, though, I definitely should. Thanks for the reminder. I've added it to my "shopping list."