Ida Bell Wells was born into slavery on July 16, 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but never succumbed to the fear society had tried to instill in Black Americans.

Like her father, Wells attended Shaw College in her hometown, but was expelled due to “rebellious behavior.” That didn’t stop her from continuing to learn, write, and investigate the injustice around her. Wells was always one to challenge the system.

One day, Wells refused to move to the smoking area of a train and was forcibly removed by the conductor and other passengers. She sued the railroad company and won $500—only for that decision to be repealed by the Tennessee Supreme Court. This began her writing career, publishing editorial pieces questioning Jim Crow laws.

However, she was most notably a prominent figure in protesting lynching in the south. After her three friends were unjustly jailed and lynched, Wells wrote pamphlets and books on lynching. She found that lynch victims were Blacks who successfully challenged whites in politics and business; and whites justified lynchings using the "rape myth".

Wells not only stood up for her friends, but she also actively campaigned for women's suffrage, helped launch the National Association of Colored Women, and was a co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

She is the true embodiment of an activist—always acting to make a change, brought awareness to social issues, and remained outspoken. Her work is a legacy, and will never be forgotten. Just last Tuesday, on July 17th, 900 people fundraised enough to make a monument honoring Wells on the South Side of Chicago, where she lived. It will be installed by the end of 2019.