Douglas in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ida B. Wells-Barnett

1862-1931

— Bronzeville Walk of Fame —

Ida B. Wells-Barnett Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 13, 2026

1. Ida B. Wells-Barnett Marker

Inscription. Journalist, anti-lynching crusader, civil rights activist

Erected 1996.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Communications • Women. In addition, it is included in the Bronzeville Walk of Fame series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1862.

Location. 41° 50.19′ N, 87° 37.036′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Douglas. It is at the intersection of South Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and 32nd Street, in the median on South Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. The marker is embedded in the sidewalk of the median just south of 32nd Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60616, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s South Side and in Chicago’s Bronzeville.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ferdinand Lee Barnett (a few steps from this marker); John Lee Williamson (within shouting distance of this marker); Joe "King" Oliver (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. J.B. Martin (within shouting distance of this marker); Edith Spurlock Sampson (within shouting distance of this marker); Arthur Mitchell (within shouting distance of this marker); Joe Williams (within shouting distance of this marker); Scott Joplin (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Regarding Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Ida Bell Wells was born into slavery in Mississippi. She later moved to Memphis, where she became a prominent journalist and civil rights activists. In 1895 she moved to Chicago and married lawyer Ferdinand L. Barnett, who was also a journalist and activist. Among her numerous contributions to the city and the civil rights movement, Ida B. Wells-Barnett co-founded the NAACP and also worked with Jane Addams to prevent the segregation

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 13, 2026

2. Ida B. Wells-Barnett Marker

of public schools in Chicago. She died in 1934 and is buried next to her husband in Oak Woods Cemetery. Their former house, at 3624 S. MLK Drive, about four blocks south of this marker, is a Chicago Landmark. In 2020, Ida B. Wells was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize "for her outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during the era of lynching."

Ida B. Wells-Barnett is honored in several ways across Chicago. The Ida B. Wells homes were a public housing project in Bronzeville that stood from 1941 until 2002; the site of that complex is today home to the Light of Truth Ida B. Wells Monument, which was erected in 2021. Additionally, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests in 2020, Congress Parkway, a primary road through Chicago's Loop, was renamed Ida B. Wells Parkway.

Also see . . . Ida B. Wells-Barnett bio. From the National Women's History Museum.

Excerpt: "On March 15, 1931, Ida B. Wells-Barnett died from kidney disease. A respected leader in Chicago’s Black community, she left behind a legacy that was not fully recognized until the
Courtesy of Chicago History Museum (ICHi-012867), circa 1920

3. Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931)
Ida B. Wells was born in Mississippi and later moved to Memphis. She settled in Chicago in 1895.
publication of her autobiography in 1970. Although she did not live to witness the Civil Rights Movement, her anti-lynching activism and journalism laid the foundation for its radical spirit, reflecting the power of collective action in the Black community."

(Submitted on May 21, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 20 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on May 21, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.