All Hail Ida B. the Queen: Michelle Duster on Her Upcoming Book and What Inspires Her

On this episode of Badass Black Girl, M.J. speaks with Michelle Duster, author, speaker, and public historian, about her new book, Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells. M.J. asks what it means to be descended from legendary Journalist and Civil Rights Activist Ida B. Wells. They discuss how Michelle came to write the book, and where her confidence comes from. They talk about Michelle’s childhood and how her city informed her career and who she is today. They discuss people and characters from books that inspired her. M.J. asks Michelle what the reaction to her new book has been so far and what it was like to publish it during the pandemic. Michelle talks about her research and what she has discovered that surprised her. She also gives some insight into her research process.

Michelle Duster is an author, speaker, professor, public historian, and champion of racial and gender equity. She has written, edited and/or contributed to sixteen books. Her most recent is Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells. She also co-wrote the popular children’s history book, Tate and His Historic Dream. She has co-edited Impact: Personal Portraits of Activism, Shifts: An Anthology of Women's Growth Through Change, and Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls. Her many awards include the 2019 Multi-Generational Activist Award from the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award from Dartmouth College. Find out more about Michelle Duster on her website.