Ida B. Wells: The Mother of the American Human Rights Movement

The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library welcomes Dr. C. Sade Turnipseed for a presentation on the life and legacy of Ida B. Wells at noon on Tuesday, January 27.
Dr. Turnipseed is an Assistant Professor of History at Jackson State University and has spent much of her career highlighting Black history in the Delta, from her work with the Cultural Arts program and the B.B. King Museum to research uncovering the contributions of the Gullah Geechee people and collaborations to memorialize the history of cotton pickers and sharecroppers. As a member of the Mississippi Humanities Council Speakers Bureau, Dr. Turnipseed frequently speaks about the legacy of Ida B. Wells-Barnett to audiences across the state. Mississippi’s fearless daughter and civil rights icon, Ida Wells Barnett was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi and single-handedly launched an international campaign to stop lynching. A woman who helped found both the NAACP and the National Association of Colored Women, she campaigned for suffrage and race and gender equality throughout her life.
Dr. Turnipseed’s presentation coincides with the library’s “Freedom:  A History of US” exhibit, which is on display through Friday, January 30. The library is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday and from  9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Both part of the America 250 series of special events co-sponsored by Mississippi University for Women, the Mississippi School for Math and Science, and the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library. The series provides opportunities to reflect on the American experiment as we mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.