Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Journalist - Activist - Anti-Lynching Crusader
A daughter of slaves, Ida B. Wells was born in Holly
Springs, Mississippi, on July 16, 1862. In 1884, she
began to write about issues of race and politics in the
South. Using the moniker "Iola," a number of her
articles were published in black newspapers and
periodicals. Wells eventually became an owner of the Memphis Free Speech and
Headlight, and, later, of the Free Speech. In 1892, the lynching of her friend Tom
Moss led her to write articles decrying the lynching and the wrongful deaths of
other African Americans. Putting her own life at risk, she spent two months
traveling in the South, gathering information on other lynching incidents. She
reported on the lynchings in her own newspaper and later in New York Age.
Wells published A Red Record in 1893, a personal examination of lynchings in
America.
In 1898, Wells brought her anti-lynching campaign to the White House, leading a
protest in Washington, D.C., and calling for President William McKinley to
make reforms. She married Ferdinand Barnett that same year, and was thereafter
known as Ida B. Wells-Barnett. While the couple eventually had four children
together, Wells remained committed to her social and political activism.
Ida B. Wells established several civil rights organizations. In 1896, she formed
the National Association of Colored Women. In 1908, she attended a special
conference for the organization that would later become known as the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She is considered a
founding member of the NAACP. As part of her work with the National Equal
Rights League, she called for President Woodrow Wilson to put an end to
discriminatory hiring practices for government jobs.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett died of kidney disease on March
25, 1931, at the age of 68, in Chicago, Illinois. She left
behind an impressive legacy of social and political
heroism. With her writings, speeches and protests,
Wells fought against prejudice, no matter what
potential dangers she faced. She once said, "I felt that
one had better die fighting against injustice than to die
like a dog or a rat in a trap."
Biography taken from www.biography.com.
Joseph D. Bryant
Media/Marketing Analyst, Housing Authority, Birmingham District
Mr. Bryant is director of communication for the Housing Authority
of the Birmingham District, where he oversees public information
and communication strategies. Prior to joining the Housing
Authority, Bryant spent 12 years as a reporter at The Birmingham
News, where he covered the mayor’s office and city government. He
also worked at the Times Daily from 2001-2003 where he covered a variety of stories on
beats that included Muscle Shoals and Tuscumbia.
At the University of Alabama, Bryant worked for Alabama Public Radio and the office of
communication in the Culverhouse College of Commerce. In 2000 he became the first
African-American to be named editor of The Crimson White.
Bryant is a native of Dothan. He serves as vice president of the University of
Alabama Community Affairs Board of Advisors.
Andrea N. Hunt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of North Alabama
Dr. Hunt’s research and teaching focuses on diverse families, race and
ethnicity, gender, and social justice. She has facilitated numerous
workshops on working with diverse families, techniques for teaching
about social inequality, and developing cultural competency among
practitioners. She is also a violence prevention educator and delivers
bystander intervention training for students and the community.
Pat Sanders, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Radio-Television-Film, University of North
Alabama
Dr. Sanders’ research interests center on radio and its current role in a
digital environment. She has also focused on its impact in the African
American community as a major information source. Other research
interests center on digital technology and convergence, and women in
leadership. A recent and growing interest has been related to diversity issues in society
and the workplace, principally prejudice, perceptions and stereotypes.
Butler Cain, Ph. D., Moderator
Chair and Associate Professor of Communications, University of North
Alabama
Dr. Cain’s academic interests include journalism, media history, and
international media. Before transitioning into higher education, he spent
many years working professionally as a broadcast journalist, including a
decade as news director of Alabama Public Radio.
William Greaves
Director, producer and writer William Greaves began
his career as a featured actor on Broadway and in
motion pictures. His work behind the camera has
earned him over 70 international film festival awards
including an Emmy and four Emmy nominations. In
1980 he was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, and in the same
year he was the recipient of a special homage at the first Black American
Independent Film Festival in Paris. In 1986, he received an Indy -- the special
Life Achievement Award -- from the Association of Independent Video and
Filmmakers. He was recently honored by the National Black Theater and Film
Festival with its first award for Lifelong Achievement in Film and for
Contributions to Black Theater. From: www.williamgreaves.com
UNA Department of Communications
celebrates
Black History Month
Upcoming Events
March 16
Women’s History Month Event
6:00 p.m., Communications Building 131
March 23
Lindsey Festival Special UNA Faculty Screening
Home, short film by Jason Pangilinan, M.F.A.
Hunky Dory, feature film by Michael Johnson, M.F.A.
6:00 p.m., Communications Building 131
April 4
First Amendment Awareness Month Launch Party
12:30 p.m., Communications Building Lobby
April 13
“Live Free or Eat Free” Pizza Lunch
12:30 p.m., Communications Building Outdoor Event Area
April 18
UNA Earth Day Southern Exposure Film Series Screening
6:00 p.m., Communications Building 131
April 20
Good Night and Good Luck Screening and Panel Discussion
6:00 p.m., Communications Building 131
April 27
First Amendment Awareness Month Guest Speaker
6:00 p.m., Communications Building 131
Ida B. Wells:
A Passion for Justice
256.765.4247
Screening and panel discussion of
the award-winning documentary
by William Greaves.
6:00 p.m., Thursday, February 23, 2017
Communications Building 131
www.una.edu/communications
on Pine Street across from Kilby School
University of North Alabama
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Communications