Michelle Duster

Michelle Duster is an American author and public historian. She is known for her work to preserve the legacy of her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells.

Early life and education

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Michelle Duster was born in Chicago to Maxine Duster and Donald L. Duster. Her father worked for Comed,[1] and her mother was an English teacher and civic leader.[2] She is the paternal great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells. Growing up in Chicago's South Side, Duster began writing from an early age. While in high school, she entered essay contests and was a writer for the school newspaper.[3] In 1985, she obtained her B.A. in Psychology from Dartmouth College.[4] She went on to obtain an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School.[5]

Career

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Duster has worked to preserve Ida B. Wells' legacy both through written publications and public history projects.[6][7][8] She has written one children's book, Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth: Educator, Feminist, and Anti-lynching Civil Rights Leader[9] and one young adult biography, Ida B. The Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy Of Ida B. Wells,[10][11] about her great-grandmother. She has also edited two anthologies of Wells' writing.

She received the Multi-Generational Activist Award from the Illinois Human Rights Commission in 2019, and the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award from her alma mater, Dartmouth College.[12]

Selected bibliography

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Children's literature

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  • — (2022). Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth. New York City, New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781250239464.[13]
  • — (2021). Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells. New York City, New York: Atria Publishing Group. ISBN 9781982129811.[14]

Anthologies edited

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References

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  1. ^ O'Donnell, Maureen (11 April 2013). "Comed exec, grandson of Ida B. Wells". Retrieved 2023-06-01 – via PressReader.
  2. ^ O'Donnell, Maureen (2022-11-04). "Maxine Duster, Chicago educator, civic leader, dead at 83". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  3. ^ APW (2021-06-09). "Michelle Duster: A Descendant Goes To Work And Reclaims History Through Her Writing". Arkansas Press Women. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  4. ^ "Chicago Finally Has a Street Named After a Black Woman. For Michelle Duster '85, It's Personal. | Dartmouth Alumni". alumni.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  5. ^ "Columbia College Chicago Faculty Member Has Newly Released Book About Michelle Obama". www.colum.edu. September 4, 2018. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  6. ^ "Race in America: History Matters with Michelle Duster". The Washington Post. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  7. ^ Comment, Betsy Bird Leave a (2022-02-01). "Voices of Truth: Interviews with Michelle Duster and Laura Freeman About Their New Ida B. Wells Bio". A Fuse #8 Production. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  8. ^ admin (2021-03-16). "Wright College Tutor Michelle Duster Pens Acclaimed Book, Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells". CCC. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  9. ^ "Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth". Jane Addams Peace Association. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  10. ^ "Biography of Ida B. Wells. 'Ida B. the Queen' coming out in February". USA Today. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  11. ^ Graham, Kashif Andrew (2021-02-03). "Michelle Duster Delivers an Intimate Biography of Ida B. Wells". Nashville Scene. Chapter 16. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  12. ^ "Author and Historian Michelle Duster to Give MLK Lecture on Feb. 16". Elmhurst University. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  13. ^ "Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth by Michelle Duster". Macmillan Publishers. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Duster, Michelle (26 January 2021). Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells by Michelle Duster. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-9821-2981-1. Retrieved June 1, 2023. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  15. ^ a b "Michelle Duster". Michelle Duster. Retrieved 2023-06-01.