The family, as well as the rest of the slaves of the Confederate
states, were decreed free by the Union, about six months after Ida's
birth, thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation. However, living in
Mississippi as African Americans, they faced racial prejudices and were
restricted by discriminatory rules and practices.
When Ida was sixteen
years old both of her parents died from Yellow Fever. In order to keep
her family together, Ida went to work as a teacher and took care of her
brothers and sisters. A few years later, Ida moved to Memphis to teach
where she could make more money. She also took college courses during
the summer and began to write and edit for a local journal.
hope it helps
