Ida B. Wells Barnett was a woman who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to become a force for justice. Born into slavery, she grew up to become a fearless educator, organizer, businesswoman, and reporter who used the power of the pen to expose the grave injustices happening all over the south. Before Rosa Parks’ act of civil disobedience sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Mrs. Wells Barnett had brought a lawsuit against a railroad for discriminatory practices after having been dragged off a train for refusing to give up her seat to white passengers. She was one of the first to do so, and she won. Mrs. Ida is also credited as the first person to write about the inhumanity of lynchings in lurid detail. Her fight for justice not only brought her renown and respect in America, but also in England.