Recognized as one of the best books of 2016 by The New York Times Book Review and The Washington Post, The Defender examines the Chicago Defender, a weekly newspaper that tackled the most taboo topics concerning black people in America. First founded in 1905 by African-American lawyer Robert S. Abbott (who went on to become one of the first black millionaires), the Chicago Defender published pieces discouraging violence in the Jim Crow-era, encouraging the Great Migration, and openly publicizing the horrific racial killings that other media was afraid to discuss.
The paper also featured famous guest columnists such as Langston Hughes, Ida B. Wells, and Martin Luther King Jr. Furthermore, after taking over the paper for his uncle, John H. Sengstacke worked with presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman to integrate presidential press conferences and the armed forces, respectively. Though unknown to many, the Chicago Defender was instrumental in shaping American history.
