HR0663 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0663 LRB099 13252 GRL 37159 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the owners of the Chicago Defender on the occasion of the newspaper's 110th anniversary in 2015; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago Defender is a Chicago-based weekly newspaper that was founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott for primarily African American readers; the Chicago Defender has attracted the writing talents of many famous writers, including Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Willard Motley; and

WHEREAS, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, editor and founder of the Chicago Defender, played a major role in influencing the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North by means of strong, moralistic rhetoric in his newspaper's editorials and political cartoons, the promotion of Chicago as a destination, and the advertisement of successful African American individuals as inspiration for blacks in the South; the Defender consistently published articles describing lynchings in the south with vivid descriptions and unrestrained blame of the mobs of whites typically involved, forcing readers to accept that these crimes were "systematic and unremitting"; the art in the Defender, particularly its political cartoons, explicitly addressed race issues and advocated northern migration of African Americans; the Defender was also used to initiate and advertise a "Great Northern Drive" day, set for May 15, 1917; and

WHEREAS, In 1923, Robert Sengstacke Abbott and editor Lucius Harper created the Bud Billiken Club and later organized parades to promote healthy activity among black children in Chicago; in 1929, the organization began the Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic, which is still held annually in Chicago; in the 1950s, under Sengstacke's direction, the Bud Billiken Parade expanded and emerged as the largest single event in Chicago; today, the event attracts more than one million attendees and more than 25 million television viewers, making it one of the largest parades in the country; and

WHEREAS, Robert Sengstacke Abbott's nephew, John H. Sengstacke, took over the Defender in 1940; in 1948, he encouraged President Harry S. Truman to integrate the armed services, which President Truman did soon after; he also served as a member of Truman's appointed committee to assure that the military implemented this plan; and

WHEREAS, John Sengstacke brought together for the first time major black newspaper publishers and created the National Negro Publishers Association, later renamed the National Newspaper Publishers Association; today, the Association consists of over 200 member black newspapers; and

WHEREAS, Under John Sengstacke's leadership, the Defender became a daily newspaper on February 6, 1956 and changed its name to the Chicago Daily Defender, becoming the nation's second black daily newspaper; it published as a daily until 2003; and

WHEREAS, In January of 2003, control of the Chicago Defender and her sister publications was transferred to Real Times, Inc., which was organized and led by Thom Picou and Robert (Bobby) Sengstacke, John H. Sengstacke's son; today, the paper continues to serve as a world-class source of local, State, and national news; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the owners of the Chicago Defender on the occasion of the newspaper's 110th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Chicago Defender as a symbol of our esteem and respect.