Mob Rule In New Orleans

Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862 - 1931)

Born into slavery in Mississippi in 1862, Ida B. Wells-Barnett was an African-American journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, feminist, leader in the Civil Rights Movement, and one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. Gathering her information from two New Orleans newspapers, Mrs. Wells-Barnett recounts in graphic detail the events of one particularly violent week in early 20th century New Orleans during which a mob "roamed the streets day and night, searching for colored men and women, whom they beat, shot and killed at will." A worse massacre was avoided, as stated by the author, because of "the determined stand for law and order taken by these great [newspapers] and the courageous action taken by the best citizens of New Orleans, who rallied to the support of the civic authorities." This account serves as chilling documentation of the mindless savagery of an anger- and hate-driven mob. - Summary by Holly Jenson

Genre(s): *Non-fiction, Modern (20th C)

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Introduction Holly Jenson
00:04:03
Play 01 Shot an Officer (Part 1) Holly Jenson
00:16:38
Play 02 Shot an Officer (Part 2) Holly Jenson
00:15:18
Play 03 Shot an Officer (Part 3) Holly Jenson
00:13:55
Play 04 Death of Charles Holly Jenson
00:14:04
Play 05 Mob Brutality Holly Jenson
00:08:35
Play 06 Insolent Blacks Holly Jenson
00:02:12
Play 07 Shocking Brutality Holly Jenson
00:03:08
Play 08 Murder on the Levee Holly Jenson
00:03:55
Play 09 A Victim in the Market Holly Jenson
00:03:37
Play 10 A Gray-Haired Victim Holly Jenson
00:03:10
Play 11 Fun in Gretna Holly Jenson
00:07:15
Play 12 Brutality in New Orleans Holly Jenson
00:05:16
Play 13 Was Charles a Desperado? Holly Jenson
00:14:27
Play 14 Died in Self-Defense Holly Jenson
00:13:02
Play 15 Burning Human Beings Alive Holly Jenson
00:11:55
Play 16 Lynching Record Holly Jenson
00:07:07