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Jack Lessenberry

Portrait of a young African American boy selling the Chicago Defender on a street corner on Chicago's South Side, April 1942. The boy carries a full bag of the daily newspaper and holds one in his hand to flog.
The Defender's Role in Black History
Newspapers are mainly in decline these days, though for most of our history, they were our most important communications medium. But what few realize is that in the century following slavery, newspapers were even more important to black America.
By Jack Lessenberry
 
Portrait of a young African American boy selling the Chicago Defender on a street corner on Chicago's South Side, April 1942. The boy carries a full bag of the daily newspaper and holds one in his hand to flog.
Culture
The Defender's Role in Black History
Newspapers are mainly in decline these days, though for most of our history, they were our most important communications medium. But what few realize is that in the century following slavery, newspapers were even more important to black America.
By Jack Lessenberry