African Americans on Postage Stamps

Ida B. Wells

Prominent Journalist

25-cent Ida B. Wells stamp
The Ida B. Wells stamp was issued February 1, 1990.

"The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press."
—Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells devoted her life to educating people about the horrors of discrimination against African-Americans and women. Her first job was as a teacher, but she became a journalist when she started to write about her experiences of suing a railroad company for discrimination. Much of her journalism career centered on the anti-lynching crusade and voting rights for women. She was a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and she founded the first suffrage club for African-American women.

The Black Experience