The Red Record by Ida B. Wells

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The Red Record by Ida B. Wells



There are so many aspects of history in the United States that are not openly discussed. The ramifications of an open discussion would lead people to recognize the true horror that is the African American experience in this country. I always find it fascinating that compared to the horrors of the past, Black people should now feel relatively safe, but that isn’t the case for many. Why? Because many of us are very aware of the past, the injustices that occurred and the scars that have been passed through history because of such violence. Scars that are never given the opportunity to heal. The Red Record was published in 1895 and is an open discussion by Wells of the Lynch Law of the time. Why is it so powerful? Because it lays bare the complete absence of value on the lives of African Americans. Because it proves that an African American could die at the whim of the mob, body flaming on the ground, or swinging from a tree while riddled with bullets. That most of the time law and order did not take place and no one was ever charged with the lynching. No one was ever persecuted. But a life was taken and everyone went on about their lives. Except for the women, children and family members whose loved one was accused and then viciously murdered.
Some people don’t want to talk about this part of history. It's easier to imagine that a wrong was made right when slaves were set free and that there was a rough patch in time when the Civil Rights movement was necessary. No one likes to talk about the time in between. I needed to read The Red Record because I needed to see the proof of that time. I have made a choice to confront history head on so I can better confront the position the United States is currently in as a country. It's disgusting that a book written so many years ago is so very relevant to 2017. It provides a bridge of understanding with painstaking reflection. But in a time when people are asking for their lives to matter, it’s easy to look back and see that for a long time they haven’t. The proof is in the history and we still have to keep fighting for change.
This book is a necessary read. Especially now when the fight for social justice still rages and lives are still taken. Wells was a voice for justice then and her words still matter now. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

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