Mississippi-born journalist Ida B. Wells honored by Orange Grove Public Library

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - In a world of civil rights leaders, Mississippi journalist Ida B. Wells was one of the first and one of the best.

“Ida B. Wells organized boycotts,” said Richard Kalnins with the Orange Grove Public Library. “She told people to not take the trolleys in Memphis. She told people not to buy in certain stores. She understood the economic power that a boycott could cause to, you know, the white owners of these businesses.”

As part of the Orange Grove Public Library’s Black History Month programs, Wells was recognized for her influence.

Wells went from enslavement as a child to become an esteemed journalist and activist before her death in 1931. Her activism helped lay the foundation of the modern civil rights moment; her journalism unveiled the horror of lynchings in the South to the world.

“She makes us confront and try to understand - because I don’t think it can be resolved - the things that have happened to African Americans in our state,” Kalnins added.

Maria Nichols had not heard of Wells until the presentation at the Orange Grove Public Library, but she learned a valuable lesson.

“I did learn a feisty little 5-foot-one lady was sure enough what we need today,” she said.

Nichols came away inspired.

“A sense of pride and just wanting to go out there and find something that I can do to make a difference,” she added. “I may not be as powerful as she is, but I’m also a fighter.”

Educator Mindy Alexander is all-in for Ida B.

“Ida B. is probably the most influential Mississippian when it comes to equality and the civil rights movement,” she said.

Alexander has taught the story of Ida B. Wells to students to inspire them.

“I want them to understand the value of a voice,” she said. “And, specifically, a Mississippi voice because they are a little bit different. Maybe they’re a little bit louder and a little bit more special than the rest.”

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