Ida Bell Wells- Barnett was offered an editorial position for the Evening Star in Washington, D.C.

Ida Bell Wells-Barnett 

(July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931)

While continuing to teach elementary school, Wells became increasingly active as a journalist and writer. She was offered an editorial position for the Evening Star in Washington, D.C., and she began writing weekly articles for The Living Way weekly newspaper under the pen name "Iola." 

Under her pen name, she wrote articles attacking racist Jim Crow policies.^[16] In 1889, she became editor and co-owner with J. L. Fleming of The Free Speech and Headlight, a black-owned newspaper established by the Reverend Taylor Nightingale and based at the Beale Street Baptist Church in Memphis. 

In 1891, Wells was dismissed from her teaching post by the Memphis Board of Education due to her articles that criticized conditions in the black schools of the region. 

She was devastated but undaunted, and concentrated her energy on writing articles for The Living Way and the Free Speech and Headlight.^[17]
 
Wells was considered to be a well accomplished, successful woman who was well respected among the community.

 She belonged to the middle class which at the time was considered to be rare for women especially women of color.