Led by Christopher Benson of the University of Illinois, this is the first in a three-part series to explore the past century of black-owned media in Chicago. Some of the earliest and most influential voices in the black press were based in Chicago, ranging from early pioneers, including Robert Abbott’s Chicago Defender and Anthony Overton’s Chicago Bee, to later voices such as the multi-media empire founded by John H.Johnson, including Ebony and Jet magazines.

Recorded Thursday, February 08, 2007 at Chicago History Museum.