On May 1884, as Wells was on her way to school in Tennessee, the conductor of the train told her that she would have to ride in the smoking car, she refused. The conductor then attempted to force her off the train instead, she got off at the next stop and boarded a train back to Memphis and sued the railroad company. The case attracted so much attention, even though the law declared separate but equal, some insisted that all Negros should ride in the back (wells, pg. 5). In December 1884, the court awarded Wells $500 for damages done in damages. However, on April 5, 1887 the Supreme Court of Tennessee reversed the case of the other court decision. In her book, Wells wrote of how disappointed she was because her people (African Americans) were
