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This section reveals the character and beliefs behind a woman with a dream. We tried to present the inner personality of Ida Wells and facts that not all sources focused on.

Ida Wells was brave and an independent woman who was forced to grow up at the young age of 16, when the tragedy in her family occurred. She became a mother to her siblings and had to sacrifice her own childhood. She was strong-willed and would not rely on anyone to manage her life for her, and she refused to burden anyone else with her problems.

She was a human being- Ida enjoyed an active social life, enjoying herself by playing games and often struggled to stop herself from buying expensive items of stylish clothing.

She was a hero for others. She sacrificed herself for her family. She encouraged her children to set high goals for themselves. She did not tolerate for them to neglect their studies, and though she was firm, she was compassionate.

Spunky, passionate, and rebellious, Ida refused to be told what to do. She confronted the president of America, government officials, police officers, and angry violent mobs of whites to declare and criticize the degradation of society and demand that they make a change.

Intelligent and persuasive, Ida researched countless lynchings and other forms of discrimination to get the facts, then she battled the facts and gained support through articles, established groups, and gave inspirational speeches.

Militant and not a woman to mess with: After the lynching of three of her friends, Moss, Steward, and Mcdowell, Ida bought a pistol for self protection and declared that she would do whatever it took to get justice, and even if it meant taking one lyncher with her. She said it was better to die fighting then to die "like a dog or a rat in a trap."

Outspoken and vibrant: Ida  scorned the chains of whites, as an African American, and men as a woman. She began groups for women and marched with the white women in a suffrage rally that she was forbidden  to. She felt that people should not depend on others but on themselves.

A woman of compassion and conviction, Ida stood firm to her faith and kept attendance at church, constantly praying "Oh God! Is there no redress, no peace, no justice in this land for us. You have always fought the battles of the weak and oppressed. Come to my aid at this moment and teach me what to do .... Show us the way." She made an effort to help every victim she came across, even after they died by lynching, she would keep in touch with families of those who were killed.

Learn more about Ida's personality