HR0471 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0471 LRB094 12446 CSA 46856 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Chicago Defender, one of the nation's most influential Black newspapers, celebrated its 100th anniversary on May 5, 2005; and

WHEREAS, The Defender kicked off a year-long celebration that will feature a variety of public events, as well as 10 special centennial news editions; and

WHEREAS, The idea to launch the Black newspaper in Chicago first began in August of 1893, when Robert S. Abbott came to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago to perform spirituals with his Hampton college choir, and was mesmerized by the words of Frederick Douglas, who spoke thunderously about the contributions of Negroes in America; and

WHEREAS, After finishing college, he launched the Chicago Defender, printing the paper in his landlady's second story apartment; by 1910, Mr. Abbott had a viable business and hired his first employee; within a decade, the Defender was outselling all other Black papers; the Defender was the first Black newspaper to have a circulation over 100,000, the first to have a health column, and the first to have a full page of comic strips; and

WHEREAS, In 1940, upon Robert Abbott's death, John H. H. Sengstacke, his nephew and heir, became the publisher and editor of the newspaper; in 1956, the Defender began publishing on a daily basis; four years before his death, John Sengstacke stepped down as publisher and turned the reins over to his brother, Frederick D. Sengstacke, who served as publisher until 2000, when Colonel Eugene Scott, U.S. Army (ret.), assumed the role; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Abbott and Mr. Sengstacke were both very politically influential men; Mr. Sengstacke was responsible for helping Mayor Daley get elected, as well as integrating the school board and fire and police departments in Chicago; he also worked to have Branch Rickey integrate major league baseball and to place the first Black federal judge on the bench since Reconstruction; and

WHEREAS, In 2003, Real Times, Inc., led by Thomas Picou, chairman of the board, purchased the chain of newspapers which included the Chicago Defender; Real Times is the nation's largest African American owned and operated newspaper chain in the country; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Chicago Defender on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Chicago Defender as an expression of our esteem and best wishes for the future.