Memphis to honor Ida B. Wells with plaza, statue

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – A statue of journalist, teacher and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells will be unveiled as part of a week’s worth of events honoring the former resident of Memphis, Tennessee.

The life-size bronze statue of Wells is being erected at a plaza in downtown Memphis.

The unveiling is scheduled on July 16, culminating a week-long celebration of Wells’ life and legacy that also will include a panel discussion, a parade and a visit to a prominent lynching site in Memphis.

Wells lived in Memphis for 10 years in the late 1800s.

She taught at two Memphis schools before becoming a full-time journalist.