Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Ida B. Wells began her work against lynching after a Memphis mob killed three local businessmen in 1892. Her brave and outspoken stand resulted in the destruction of her newspaper, The Free Speech, and her exile from Memphis under threat of death. To arouse public sentiment against lynching, Wells made two trips to Great Britain where she spoke before large and sympathetic audiences. The British press followed her efforts closely, reporting on her speeches and writing editorials against lynching. This paper examines the exchange of opinions between the British press and the Memphis newspapers, which were outraged by Wells’ tour and by the positive response it gained. The intemperate language of the Memphis press in turn shocked the British newspapers, which found in it further confirmation of Wells’ analysis of southern race relations.