"The only times an Afro-American who was assaulted got away has been when he had a gun and used it in self-defense"

This quote by Ida B. Wells speaks to the systemic racism and violence that African Americans dealt with in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wells was an African American reporter and civil liberties activist who documented the lynching of African Americans in the United States. This quote suggests that African Americans were often the victims of violence which the only method they might secure themselves was to arm themselves with a weapon and utilize it in self-defense. This quote likewise talks to the power dynamics of the time, as African Americans were often viewed as powerless and not able to safeguard themselves from violence. Wells' quote is a tip of the value of self-defense and the requirement for African Americans to be able to secure themselves from violence. It likewise works as a pointer of the systemic bigotry and violence that African Americans dealt with in the past and continue to face today.