By Kenyatta Coleman and Miranda Perez
As the world knows, Ida B. Wells is an icon amongst icons because she used her voice and impacted generations of writers, specifically women.
“Ida B. the Queen” not only follows Ida B. Wells’ journey as a trailblazing investigative journalist who documented lynchings in the 1980s, it dives into her journey as a mother, NAACP founder and educator.
Author Michelle Duster, writer, speaker, champion of racial and gender inequality and the great-granddaughter of Wells, decided it was her duty to continue the legacy of her with her new book “Ida B. the Queen.”
Duster wanted to introduce her life and legacy to a new generation and inspire her readers by showing how the present is connected to the future and the past.
She knew that she wanted to make this book colorful and vivid to be relatable to younger generations.
On the first page, Ida B. Wells quote states, “There must always be a remedy for wrong and injustice if we only know how to find it.” Duster elaborated that she used that quote to further her point of how she used journalism as a form of activism and used her voice to effect change.
While Ida B. Wells’ legacy is widely known and respected, Duster wanted the book to “introduce her life and legacy to a new generation and show how much the present is connected to the past,” Duster said.
While there is no one favorite aspect of the book, Duster appreciates how her deep research allowed her to learn about the FBI surveillance on her great-grandmother.
“For her truth telling to be viewed and documented as a monstrosity was appalling to me,” Duster said.
The book connects Ida B. Wells’ legacy to modern historic Black women such as Stacey Abrams and Vice-President Kamala Harris. Duster’s extensive research on Ida’s life and career complement her own story of self-discovery and activism. She connects the historical dots to show how Ida’s actions a century ago echo through the movements happening in the streets today.
“Ida B. The Queen” is available for purchase online and in store now.
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