Wednesday is Ida B. Wells' birthday, and a local organization is making sure Chicago girls learn about the trailblazing journalist and civil rights activist.

The Girls Like Me Project took a group of teens on a tour to honor Wells' legacy and the legacies of other powerful Black women from Chicago.

"'I stick to my firm, unshakeable belief that the Black press is an advocacy press,'" 18-year-old Kaitlyn Jones said, reading words written by the late Chicago journalist Ethel Payne.

Payne is known as "The First Lady of the Black Press," because of her fearlessness as a journalist and a civil rights activist.

"That's what Payne worked on mostly, as well as children born to Japanese mothers, and African American fathers who were mistreated heavily by the troops there. She also wrote about that," said Girls Like Me Project participant Sara Park.

The project hosted their annual "Legacy Speaks: Mapping Ida B. Wells' Imprint," a special bus tour in tribute to the life and legacy of Wells on her birthday.

"History tells us, as she has a marker here, that what you do now may not be recognized in your lifetime, but the deed and your legacy will live on into future generations," said Girls Like Me Project founder La'Keisha Gray-Sewell.

The mission of Girls Like Me is to help Black girls, ages 11 to 17, critically examine social, cultural, and political ideologies in media.

For nearly a decade, the Girls Like Me Project has led excursions to Wells' historic home and other landmarks in Bronzville. Gray-Sewell grew up in the neighborhood and said she resonates with Wells speaking out against injustice.

"I know that a lot of times people just want you to be quiet. They don't want you to shift. They don't want to make other people uncomfortable, and I know that that's what she did," she said.

The annual excursions focus on elevating the voices and stories of powerful Black women, but this year, the tour expanded beyond Bronzeville, going to places like Englewood, the Illinois Medical District, and North Lawndale – a neighborhood 18-year-old Imani Henson is looking forward to tour.

"I'm excited to see the women from the West Side, because you know, I'm from out west. So I'm excited to see the women from the West Side and the North Side," Henson said.

This year's expansion provided a more comprehensive mapping of the contributions of Black women across Chicago.

"They didn't have to go out their way to be those outspoken people, those blueprints for us to be here today," 18-year-old Nevaeh Harris said.

The Girls Like Me Project said they plan to expand their tours to more locations in the future.