On May 5, 1905, the influential Black newspaper, the Chicago Defender, was founded by Robert S. Abbott. The paper was the first Black publication to have a circulation over 100,000. The paper began as a four-page, six-column handbill Abbott produced with an initial investment of 25 cents.
He produced the paper alone out of a small kitchen in his landlord’s apartment until 1910, when he hired his first full-time, paid employee. Although white distributors refused to distribute the paper in the South, Black Pullman porters and entertainers helped the paper reach readers across the Mason-Dixon line.
At its height, the Defender was estimated to have a readership of over 500,000 each week. The Chicago Defender is entirely online today.
The post On this day in 1905, the Chicago Defender was founded appeared first on American Urban Radio Networks.
Be the first to comment