When a Celebration of Activism is a Celebration of Community
Hannah-Jones, who goes by the Ida Bae Wells on social media as a modern tribute to the activist, was present for the celebration and did a reading from The 1619 Project as well as a live discussion of Wells-Barnett’s legacy with the creator and facilitator of the event, Jeannine Cook.
The Scottish Rite Auditorium felt electric. Excitement and joy filled the very air of the space as attendees clamored to celebrate the life, work, and activism of Ida B. Wells-Barnett.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s journalism and activism brought awareness to racist violence in the American South, specifically the frequent lynchings plaguing Black communities. Born into enslavement herself in 1862, Wells-Barnett became an educator and later an investigative journalist following the brutal lynchings of three of her friends. Her works Southern Horrors, published in 1892, and A Red Record, published in 1895, highlight the horrors of lynching and racist violence that plagued Black Southerners. A civil rights activist and a suffragette, Wells-Barnett ultimately became one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Hundreds of people poured into the auditorium, smiles across their faces as they arrived at their seats and found a tote bag waiting for them. The totes were emblazoned with the words “America would not be America without the wealth from Black labor, without Black striving, Black ingenuity, Black resistance”, a quote from Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and architect of The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Hannah-Jones, who goes by the Ida Bae Wells on social media as a modern tribute to the activist, was present for the celebration and did a reading from The 1619 Project as well as a live discussion of Wells-Barnett’s legacy with the creator and facilitator of the event, Jeanine Cook.
For Cook, owner of Ida’s Bookshop named after Wells, honoring the life and work of such a prolific woman was vital. Ida’s, which opened in the Fall of 2021 in Collingswood, New Jersey is a continuation of dedicated book spaces honoring prolific and impactful Black women. “Say her name,” Cook says in a post. “Ida’s is named for historic heroine Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who used the power of her pen to fight state-sanctioned lynching and to build civic groups on multiple continents. Don’t let anyone try to tell you what can’t be done. So much to learn from Ms. Ida!”
Cook also owns Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown and a pop-up in Paris, France known as Josephine’s.
Row House Publishing, a publisher with the mission to publish books by authors from marginalized communities, partnered with Cook and Ida’s on the celebration. "What I love about Ida‘s bookshop specifically, and then by extension their sister shop Harriet in Philadelphia is how Jeannine Cook, the owner, has poured into her local community and included everyone in the community not just black folks but people from all backgrounds all economic realities,” says Rebekah Borucki, owner and founder of Row House Publishing. “She really embraces the place where she is and calls on its residents and her neighbors to participate in these community events that not only uplift and benefit the bookshop, but benefit all of the local Black-owned businesses.”
The event also featured local vendors, treats, and musicians highlighting the importance of community involvement in the celebration. ”It is the perfect example of how small businesses feedback into their communities,” says Borucki, “and specifically Black-owned, Black women-owned businesses feed back into their communities. Brick-and-mortar stores that live inside residential and small commercial communities impact their local economies so much more than any big brand there is not only the economic influence but there is this commitment to service that is carried out, that is practiced when you are coming face-to-face with your neighbors every day.”
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Whitney Roberts
Whitney Roberts is a Philadelphia writer, podcaster, and content creator featured by the NAACP, Wired, NBC, and more. She contributes to outlets like TheRoot and NPR, amplifying diverse voices and stories.
