Joy Keys chats with Author Michelle Duster about Ida B. The Queen

Michelle Duster is a writer, speaker, professor, and champion of racial and gender equity. In the last dozen years, she has written, edited, or contributed to over a dozen books.  She co-wrote the popular children’s history book, Tate and His Historic Dream; coedited Impact: Personal Portraits of Activism and Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls; and edited two books that include the writings of her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells. She has written articles for Essence, Refinery29, HuffPo, Teen Vogue, Glamour, People and The North Star.

As America sees its first Black woman Vice President ascend to office, the story of American civil rights pioneer Ida B. Wells stands more resonant than ever. Wells’s staunch defense of Black lives, advocacy for universal suffrage, and organizing work (she co-founded of the NAACP) saw the FBI label her a “dangerous negro agitator.” Today, we call her a hero. IDA B. THE QUEEN: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells is a beautifully illustrated biography of this revolutionary figure that centers Wells’ immense influence on African American history, told by author and Wells’ great granddaughter Michelle Duster.