Understanding the Complexities of the Black Press in Chicago during the Interwar Years: The Influence and History of the Chicago Defender
Public Deposited- Creator
-
Webb, Susie
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Global Studies
- Abstract
- The Black press in Chicago after World War I became a builder of community and a platform for social change. Led by the Chicago Defender in the 1920s, the Black press pushed for the advancement of Black rights, acted as a racial watchdog, and contributed to a Black cultural revival in Chicago. The Chicago Defender published Black news that white papers—which often only covered incidents of Black violence—wouldn’t. These positive stories helped the Chicago Defender redefine what it meant to be Black, giving Black communities in Chicago, and beyond, a space of their own. However, issues of the Chicago Defender during the interwar period predominately featured sensationalized race-associated violence as their front-page stories—even if the paper covered positive news inside. I conducted an independent review of these issues to determine the extent of the front-page sensationalism and found the prevalence of yellow journalism tactics to appeal to readers. The paper also reflected the elitist views of its editors, and it published advertisements promoting white beauty standards in its women’s pages. In analyzing the Chicago Defender’s influence on Chicago and its role in the formation of the Black press, it is important to holistically consider its history—good and bad.
- Date of publication
- 2023
- Keyword
- DOI
- Resource type
- Article
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Journal title
- Global Africana Review
- Journal volume
- 7
- Journal issue
- 1
- Page start
- 27
- Page end
- 38
- Language
- English
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