Millan 1

Leonilda Millan
Professor Aki Maehara
History 12
Sep 12,2014

"Lynch Law" by Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Ida B. Wells, was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi.She lived with her father a carpenter and her mother a cook. A few months after Ida was born, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This made Ida and her family free, well as far as the laws go. Because is wasnt until the Civil War that actualy free.When Ida was sixteen years old both her parents died from Yellow Fever. So to keep her family together, Ida had to work as a teacher to take care of her brothers and sisters. A few years later, Ida moved to Memphis so that she could make more money teaching. She also took college courses and began to write and edit for a local journals.One day Ida was taking the train and the train the conductor told her she had to move from were se was sitting, and said that section was for white people only. Ida refused, but was obligated to leave her seat. So She sued and won $500.But the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned the decision (http://www.biography.com/). After the insident with the train, Ida began to write about the racial injustices of the South.Then she began her own newspaper called the Free Speech, where she wrote about racial segregation and discrimination. In 1892, one of Ida's friends, was arrested for murderering a white man. Ida's friend was protecting his grocery store from being broken into. The white man got in anyway and distroyed the store. Ida friend was hoping that the judge would justify his actions and take it as self defence. but, before he could even go to trial, he was killed by the mob (Linched). This made Ida mad as well as so many people so she left to New York so she can be safe and started working for the New York newspaper called the New York Age. There she wrote articles about lynching and open peoples eyes on how often African-Americans were being killed without a trial. Ida believed that lynchings were used as a means of terorizing and repressing blacks (Zinn chapter 13 page 232). The two amjor issues are; (No level of local state,federal goverment will protest/respect Non-white rights) and (Lynching as a form of white racial terrorism?).Issue one states to be true do to the fact on (Forner chapter 15 page 585-586). States that despite the grant administrations effective response to klan terrorism, the norths commitment to reconstruction decreased during the 1870s.Many Radicsals passed from the scene,within the republican party.But their place was taken by politicians less committed to the idea of equal right for the blacks.Northerners increasingly felt that the south should be able to solve its own problems without constant interference from washington.The federal had freed the slaves,made them citizens,and given them the right to vote.Now,blacks should rely on their own resources,not demand further assisttance.Issue two Lynching as a form of white racial terrorism is proven in so many factors for example: in the movie( Rosewood massacre)which whites attacked blacks and burned the town down. Just because a unstable creature (white woman), claims to have been beaten by a black man.When in reality she was sleeping arround with the whole town.The white man she was having sex with woops the white out of her knocking her across the bed and onto a floor.Some black workers outside heard what was going on but did nothing. When they were asked about it there reponce was not beliaved. The white people readily believe the white trash of a woman, showing the power of racial stereotyping and fears. The black residents of Rosewood quickly become targeted by the white males, including members of the Ku Klux Klan. Coming from a school in which i graduated with good grades in all classes ecept math,I am bombarded in the fact that i had no idea of the real truth. And fractly i dont remember what i actually learn in history class.I think the most relevant event was the terrorism of the twin towers in new york city.Graduating in 2003 from high school and just returning back to school can be a factor.After reading these chapters and attending the class setions i have trealized how we have been living a lie.And how white people have it out for us Different cultural people.I have defitnetly learn new things and see everythign differently now.I opend my newfew history book sisnce he is in high school and i see the crap they are teaching them.There should be more teachers that should teach the truth then agin not many can handle the pressure. Most teachers just teach by the book and not by the truth.