When Ida B. Wells was still a very young child, the Emancipation Proclamation freed her from the bond of slavery. For her family and others like them, it was a time of renewed faith in America's promise of "freedom and justice for all". Blessed with a strong will, an eager mind, and a deep belief in this promise, Ida never turned away from the challenges she faced. She insisted on holding her family together after the death of her parents. She defied convention and went to court when a railroad company infringed on her rights. And she used her position as a journalist to speak out about injustice.

But Ida's greatest challenge arose after one of her friends was lynched. How could one headstrong young woman help free America from the "shadow of lawlessness" that loomed over the country?

Historian Philip Dray recounts the amazing story of a former slave from Mississippi who became a crusader for justice, helping to bring an end to lynching in America and leaving a legacy of activism for freedom and equality that would find its full expression during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950's and 60's.

From the dust jacket