A journalist. An educator. A suffragist. An advocate. A leader.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett was all of this — and more. With Wells as our namesake, we as students carry and continue the impact of Wells’ life and work.
However, we are not the only ones continuing her legacy.
Michelle Duster, an author, educator, public historian and the great-granddaughter of Wells, has dedicated her life’s work to the same fight for justice as Wells herself did. And more than that, Duster is not only bringing Ida B. Wells’ legacy to IBW this month, but her own, as well. With the organization of IBW’s Black Student Union and community member Martin Osborne, Duster will visit our school on Feb. 20 in honor of Black History Month.
That morning, an assembly will be held in the gym, and there, Duster will address the IBW student body. Along with Duster, an IBW student, Davina Scott, will sing the Black National Anthem, Jefferson dancers will perform, Portland Public School’s Vice-Chair Michelle DePass and PPS’s superintendent, Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong, will attend.
Later that evening from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., a discussion between Duster and a student panel will take place in the cafeteria with Ayesha Coning, IBW principal, acting as moderator.
This is not Duster’s first connection to the IBW community, however. She has been involved with the IBW community since the renaming of the school in 2020. After the rebranding process, Duster joined and addressed the community via online communication regarding the re-establishment of IBW.
“For Black History Month, I thought, what if we could bring Michelle Duster out here in person?” said Coning.
“I was really open to the idea,” said Saaleha Mohamed, a Black Student Union leader and organizer of Duster’s visit to IBW. “We [BSU’s leaders] were all really excited once we did some research on Michelle Duster and all the amazing work that she’s done.”
The organizers have many aspirations for Duster’s visit. “I really hope that one thing that everyone takes away from this is that Ida B. Wells isn’t just a name,” said Mohamed. “There’s so much history behind why we renamed our school and the woman behind the name.”
“I think everyone kind of brushes it off,” said Mohamed. “When I was speaking to Michelle Duster, I realized there’s so much that we don’t know about her. I want people to know more about her, understand the history of where she comes from, what she’s done for women of color [and] all her amazing work.”
The event is also a chance to bring the community together. “I think now more than ever, we as a community need to be strong together and be united,” said Coning.
“We need to be a strong community caring for each other, showing empathy, and walking alongside each other because we’re getting so many mixed messages in our world and in our country, which feel hurtful and divisive,” said Conning. “Here at Ida B. Wells, I want us to be strong together [and] supporting each other.”
Without a doubt, Feb. 20 will be an exciting day at IBW. Be sure to mark your calendars.
