so Kate Beaton did a comic on Ida B. Wells and that picture there is a click through and the whole thing is basically great
i hope everyone who reads this from now on uses ida as a symbol for suffrage instead of fuckin susan b anthony
The best thing about the parade on Washington was what happened next
So, Ida B. Wells and the rest of the Illinois delegation totally thought she’d be able to march with them, because WHY WOULDN’T SHE, right?
And then they got to Washington, and the parade organizers were like “uh, so, the southern delegations are freaking out about black women being in the parade. So you’ll have to march in the back, Ida!”Ida:….
Parade people: “Also, you’ll be surrounded by white quaker men.”
Ida: “Wait, so people won’t even be able to *see* the black marchers?”
Parade people: “We feel that *seeing* black women would send the wrong message.”
Ida: …. no.
Parade People: But think about how little pressure there’ll be on you, since no one will be able to see you! And you’ll be all the way in the back! We’re really doing this for your own good!”Anyways, long story short, the parade organizers threatened to kick out the entire Illinois delegation *unless* Ida B. Wells marched in the back. Ida still refused to cave, but most of the Illinois delegation was like “sorry, you can’t march with us.” And that’s when two of Ida’s friends blew up, and yelled at the Illinois delegation, and told them that if they made Ida march in the back, then *THEY* were going to march in the back, because FUCK THIS RACIST BULLSHIT, that’s why.
So the next day, Ida’s friends are waiting for her so that they can accompany her on the march, and she can still be with *part* of the Illinois delegation. But it’s getting close to march time, and they can’t see her anywhere. They go to the back of the parade… they go to the front of the parade… no Ida. They start to wonder if maybe she decided to sit it out in protest?
The march starts to move. The friends are like “WHAT DO WE DO WHERE IS IDA?” The Illinois delegation starts to march.
When suddenly, Ida’s friends see her just walk off the sidewalk, from the back of the audience, where she’d been waitingShe walks straight off the sidewalk, to the front of the Illinois delegation, and starts leading them forwards.
And no one says a fucking thing, because they were apparently too awed/cowed/aware that they had no right to say anything
Her friends run to catch up, and walk next to her in the front. And basically the march organizers tried to force her to walk in the back, but IDA B. WELLS LED THE ILLINOIS DELEGATION (which I don’t think was the original plan), BECAUSE THAT’S HOW AMAZING SHE WAS.
Have I mentioned that she also refused to give up her seat in the white section of the train, and they literally *dragged her off the train*? And then she sued them? In 1884?
This woman, I swear to god.
