Reading Into History: Book Chat on Ida B. The Queen by Michelle Duster

Ida B. Wells committed herself to the needs of those who did not have power. In the eyes of the FBI, this made her a “dangerous negro agitator.” In the annals of history, it makes her an icon. Ida B. the Queen tells the awe-inspiring story of a pioneering woman who was often overlooked and underestimated—a woman who refused to exit a train car meant for white passengers, a woman who brought to light the horrors of lynching in America, a woman who cofounded the NAACP. Written by Wells’s great-granddaughter Michelle Duster, this “warm remembrance of a civil rights icon” (Kirkus Reviews) is a unique visual celebration of Wells’s life, and of the Black experience.

Join us for an interactive discussion on this fascinating historical figure, led by a Lexington Historical Society Book Chat member. Reading the book is encouraged but by no means required! Refreshments will be served, and doors open at 6:30.

$10 members, $20 nonmembers.