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The Life and Times of Robert Abbott, Founder of the Chicago Defender

Danny Simmons

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Robert Abbott, Founder Of The Chicago Defender The Lonely Warrior: The Life And Times Of Robert S Abbott Founder Of The Chicago Defender

The Lonely Warrior: The Life and Times of Robert S Abbott Founder of the Chicago Defender

Robert Sengstacke Abbott was born on December 4, 1870, in Savannah, Georgia. His father was a former slave who had become a successful businessman, and his mother was a teacher. Abbott attended school in Savannah and then moved to Chicago in 1890 to attend Northwestern University. He studied law, but soon decided to pursue a career in journalism.

In 1893, Abbott founded the Chicago Defender, a weekly newspaper that focused on the news and concerns of the African American community. The Defender was an immediate success, and soon became one of the most widely read newspapers in the United States. Abbott used the Defender to advocate for the rights of African Americans, and to promote economic and social equality.

The Chicago Defender

The Chicago Defender was a major force in the Great Migration, which saw millions of African Americans move from the rural South to the industrial North. The Defender provided news and information about the North, and it helped to connect African Americans with jobs, housing, and other resources.

The Defender also played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement. Abbott used the newspaper to expose racial injustice, and to advocate for equal rights for African Americans. The Defender was a major supporter of the NAACP, and it played a key role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legacy

Robert Abbott died in 1940, but the Chicago Defender continues to be published today. The newspaper is still one of the most influential African American newspapers in the United States, and it continues to advocate for the rights of African Americans.

Abbott was a pioneering African American journalist and publisher. He founded the Chicago Defender, one of the most influential newspapers in the history of the United States. The Defender played a major role in the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Movement, and the advancement of African Americans in the United States.

The Lonely Warrior: The Life and Times of Robert S. Abbott, Founder of the Chicago Defender

by Rachel Dwyer

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