South Side Untold: Tracing the Footsteps of Ida B. Wells on International Women's Day
On January 30, 1913, Ida B. Wells and other activists founded the Alpha Suffrage Club, the first organization in Illinois dedicated to securing the vote for Black women.
Image Credit: Chicago Southsider.
Hey there, Chicago Southsiders,
Last month, we asked what you wanted to read during Women’s History Month, and the response was clear—trailblazing women in Chicago. Since today is International Women’s Day, we’re kicking things off with none other than Ida B. Wells, a powerhouse in journalism, civil rights, and women’s suffrage.
Ida B. Wells (later Wells-Barnett) was an educator, journalist, anti-lynching crusader, civil rights activist, and suffragist. On January 30, 1913, she founded the Alpha Suffrage Club, the first organization in Illinois dedicated to securing the vote for Black women. According to the League of Women Voters in Chicago, the club met every Wednesday at the Negro Fellowship League’s Reading Room at 3005 S. State Street, tirelessly working to educate and mobilize women who had been excluded from the mainstream suffrage movement. More to come!
Isn’t it fascinating to uncover what was happening around 30th & State over 100 years ago? I know I’m not the only one geeking out over this!
Fast forward to 2019, and Ida B. Wells became the first Black woman to have a major Chicago street named in her honor. Read more about Ida B. Wells Drive here.
Then, on October 1, 2021, a National Votes for Women Trail Marker honoring the Alpha Suffrage Club was unveiled at 31st & State Street. A couple of years ago, I visited this marker (see picture above) to walk in the footsteps of history—because one thing about the South Side of Chicago is that there’s a story on every block.
We’re on a mission to bring more of these untold stories to light. If you love South Side history, help us out by subscribing to our South Side Untold podcast on YouTube! We’re at 110 subscribers—just 15 away from our goal of 125. Right now, we’re in the research phase, figuring out what you want, how we’ll bring it to life, and how we can fund it. Subscribe here.
Who are the South Side women making history today? We want to hear from you! Reply to this newsletter or tag us on social media with your stories.
Until next time, keep making history.
—Charlene Rhinehart
Publisher, Chicago Southsider 🖤
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South Side News At a Glance
Developers Transform Vacant Lots into 30 New Homes. Vacant lots on the block of 6300 South Evans Avenue on Chicago’s South Side were once worth $6,000. Now, they are worth over $8 million.
Ida B. Wells Drive: Chicago’s First Major Street Named After a Black Woman.
Did You Know Lorraine Hansberry Lived in Woodlawn? Lorraine Hansberry made history in 1959 as the first African American woman to have a play, A Raisin in the Sun, produced on Broadway.
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