Journalist Ida B. Wells faces the greatest challenge of her life as a tireless crusader for justice and civil rights.
In 1863, when Ida B. Wells was not yet two years old, the Emancipation Proclamation freed her from the bond of slavery. Blessed with a strong will, an eager mind, and a deep belief in America's promise of "freedom and justice for all," young Ida held her family together, defied society's conventions, and used her position as a journalist to speak against injustice. But Ida's greatest challenge arose after one of her friends was lynched. How could one headstrong young woman help free America from the looming "shadow of lawlessness"?
Author Philip Dray tells the inspirational story of Ida B. Wells and her lifelong commitment to end injustice. Award-winning illustrator Stephen Alcorn's remarkable illustrations recreate the tensions that threatened to upend a nation while paying tribute to a courageous American hero.