Photo: Robert Sengstacke Abbott (b. Nov. 24, 1870 - d. Feb. 29, 1940)
Robert Sengstacke Abbott was born inward Frederica, St. Simons Island, Georgia. Thomas Abbott, his father, was born into slavery inward the US, but died when his boy was however a baby. In 1869, Robert's mother, Flora Abbott, married John Sengstacke from a wealthy High German merchant immigrant family. Robert retained his belatedly father's get upwards in addition to took his pace father's get upwards every bit his middle name.
From 1892 to 1896, Robert studied the printing merchandise at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University). By 1898, Robert earned a constabulary grade from Kent College of Law in Chicago, Illinois. He skillful constabulary inward Gary, Indiana, Topeka, Kansas, in addition to Chicago, Illinois. Ultimately, he decided that he could amend battle the arrangement of white supremacy racial injustice through the majority media instead of the courtroom. Robert pose downwards his constabulary books in addition to picked upwards his printing press. He would study the challenges in addition to successes of African Americans, tidings that was of import to their lives.
THE CHICAGO DEFENDER NEWSPAPER
With reportedly every bit niggling every bit 25 cents capital, Robert began the most widely-circulated Black paper inward the United States. The Chicago Defender paper became the medium to vocalism the concerns of African Americans inward Chicago. The paper made many outstanding contributions to journalism in addition to ultimately to Black history.
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| Image of Chicago Defender headline. |
Established inward Nov 29, 1905, the Chicago Defender would operate the longest running African American paper publication inward Chicago. The telephone substitution of data from North to South -- through both the Chicago Defender in addition to correspondence betwixt relatives -- accelerated the Great Migration of African Americans to Chicago, resulting inward an growth of 150% inward the population of Black Chicago betwixt 1910-1920.
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| City officials inward Arkansas town seek ban on Chicago Defender newspaper. |
The Great Migration of African Americans from U.S. southern states to Chicago was inward utilisation fueled yesteryear the Chicago Defender's vocalism against injustice in addition to grand accounts of northern living at the attack of the U.S. industrial revolution. Originally housed inward a converted synagogue from 1920 to 1960, the Chicago Defender quickly developed into both the country's premier root for tidings of the northern migration of African Americans.
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| Chicago Defender typesetters reach community tidings for majority distribution. |
Black Pullman Porters, who were prosperous in addition to good respected inward the African American communities, became the Defender's national "delivery men," distributing the newspapers to many southern towns. The paper became an of import communication tool betwixt Black Chicagoans in addition to their relatives inward the southern states.
"My friends made fun of me," Robert is reported to convey said most the tremendous opposition to his establishing the Chicago Defender. "They idea it was foolish of me to anticipate success inward a plain inward which then many men earlier me had failed...but I went on fighting the opposition of my adversaries in addition to the indifferences of my friends. I emerged victorious but battle-scarred."
The historic dwelling trouble solid of Robert S. Abbott
(4742 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive inward Chicago)
In 1929, Robert established the Bud Billiken Club and with David Kellum established Chicago's Bud Billiken Parade in addition to Picnic. He resided inward Chicago until his decease from Bright's Disease inward 1940. His home, established every bit a National Historical Landmark inward 1976, was located at 4742 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive inward the Bronzeville community of Chicago. He left the Chicago Defender paper to his nephew John Henry Sengstacke.
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| After to a greater extent than than 100 years of Black publishing history, Chicago Defender's 2007 number headlines local politics. |
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