Brave men do not gather by thousands to torture and murder a single individual, so gagged and bound he cannot make even feeble resistance or defense.
Ida B. WellsRead
I am only a mouthpiece through which to tell the story of lynching and I have told it so often that I know it by heart. I do not have to embellish; it makes its own way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ida B. Wells emphasizes her role as a messenger in revealing the brutal truth about lynching, conveying its power without the need for embellishment.
In this quote, Ida B. Wells reflects on her commitment to expose the horrific realities of lynching in America. She identifies herself as a mere mouthpiece, suggesting that the story of lynching is so profound and impactful that it doesn't need to be sensationalized. Her repetition of this narrative points to both its persistent relevance and her deep understanding of its significance, underlining the urgency for society to confront this dark history.
Themes
LynchingStorytellingInjusticeTruthVoiceExposure
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the importance of social justice and the responsibility of individuals to address systemic issues.
More from Ida B. Wells
All quotes →The miscegenation laws of the South only operate against the legitimate union of the races; they leave the white man free to seduce all the colored girls he can, but it is death to the colored man who yields to the force and advances of a similar attraction in white women. White men lynch the offending Afro-American, not because he is a despoiler of virtue, but because he succumbs to the smiles of white women.
Ida B. WellsRead
Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the many moral and philanthropic forces of the country to put a stop to this wholesale slaughter.
Ida B. WellsRead
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