"What becomes a crime deserving capital punishment when the tables are turned is a matter of small moment when the negro woman is the accusing party"

This quote by Ida B. Wells speaks to the systemic bigotry and injustice that African Americans dealt with in the late 19th century. Wells was an African American reporter and civil rights activist who combated against lynching and other types of racial violence. In this quote, Wells is highlighting the double standard that existed in the criminal justice system at the time. If a white person was accused of a criminal activity by a black individual, they were typically provided harsher penalties than if the accuser was white. This double requirement was especially real when it came to capital penalty. Wells is explaining that even if the criminal activity was the same, the punishment would be much more extreme if the accuser was a black female. This quote talks to the systemic racism and oppression that African Americans faced in the late 19th century and is a pointer of the value of defending justice and equality.