Ida B Wells Passion For Justice Analysis

Since 1870, the concept of respectability has substantially changed. In the late nineteenth century, women were merely the “property” of their husbands or male partners. Women, specifically ones that were part of underrepresented groups were often sexually assaulted without any question by white men. Because of white supremacy, white men could often get away with their despicable actions. Women’s bodies were completely under their control. Numerous activists attempted to change this reality. They argued that women regardless of their character deserved the right to protect their bodies from any potential threat. Unfortunately, this argument concerning a woman 's respectability was not socially accepted until the late twentieth century. Female …show more content…
Wells also fought to end control of women’s bodies in order to challenge the concept of respectability in the late nineteenth century. She attempted to convince society to questions their views regarding black women’s bodies. She did this, by highlighting how the argument behind lynching in Victorian America was ultimately skewed. In “Wells: Passion for Justice” documentary, Ida B. Wells stressed how lynching normalized terror and emphasized the white man’s control over the black community. A lynching could happen to any black individual who stepped out of line. Even testifying in court could lead to lynching since white men often framed particular cases or took the law into their own hands. To showcase her anger with the justification of lynching, Ida B. Wells stated, “I also found that what the white man of the south practiced as all right for himself, he assumed to be unthinkable in white women.” In other words, white men thought it was unthinkable and appalling for a white woman to be attracted to a black man. However, it was not uncommon for a white man to sexually abuse a black woman. According to Wells and numerous other activists during the late nineteenth century, there was a common trend of white men blaming black men for raping a white woman, even if the white woman gave full consent to the sexual relationship. Black men were defenseless from their fate of being lynched. In other words, black individuals had no power over a white man’s word. Further, white …show more content…
They thought women should be able able to form their own choices regarding their bodies and provide sufficiently for their children. In 1932, three documents “The Negro Social Worker Evaluates Birth Control” written by Constance Fisher, “Black Folk and Birth Control” by W.E.B DuBois, and Lucien Brown’s “Keeping Fit,” discussed support for birth control since it had the potential to enhance society by allowing young couples to marry without the burden of having children they could not provide for adequately. These individual’s efforts constructed the foundation for the Harlem Birth Control Clinic. As slaves, black individuals were urged to have lots of children to increase the population of the slave trade. However, after emancipation, viewpoints concerning the topic of having children began to change. The idea of birth control began to spread among the black community. People began to learn that birth control could help “young people...marry, have companionship and natural health...yet not have children until they were able” (2). DuBois was one of the numerous activists that supported birth control. He wanted the black race to survive in a healthy fashion. This meant that he wanted black