From errand boy to lawyer to publisher, Robert Sengstacke Abbott became one of the most influential figures in Black media in the early 20th century. He founded The Chicago Defender, one of the most widely read Black newspapers in the U.S.
Born in Georgia in 1870, Abbott came from a family with deep roots in slavery—his parents were both the children of enslaved people. His father, Thomas Abbott, died when Robert was just a baby, and his mother, Flora, later married John Sengstacke, a man of mixed German and African heritage. John added “Sengstacke” to Robert’s name, which became part of his legacy.
Abbott graduated from Hampton Institute in Virginia. He later moved to Chicago and earned his law degree from Kent College of Law in Chicago in 1898. Abbott found that racial prejudice prevented him from practicing law. But his background in printing and his determination led him to a different path: he invested $25 and founded The Chicago Defender.
With the help of J. Hockley Smiley, Abbott transformed the newspaper into a powerful platform for racial progress. The Defender became a champion of Black rights, promoting the migration of Black Southerners to the North, particularly to Chicago, a movement Abbott dubbed the “Great Northern Drive.” By the 1920s, the paper’s circulation exceeded 200,000, largely spread by Black railroad porters who were both loyal readers and distributors. The Defender didn’t just report on injustices—it celebrated unapologetic Black pride, dignity, and resilience.
Abbott’s newspaper also played a huge role in fostering literary talent. At just 17, poet Gwendolyn Brooks began submitting work to The Defender’s poetry column, “Lights and Shadows,” where she would eventually publish nearly 100 poems. Other future literary giants, like Willard Motley and Langston Hughes, also found a home in the pages of The Defender.
Abbott was married twice but had no children. When he passed, The Defender was passed down to his nephew, John H.H. Sengstacke III. Abbott’s home at 4742 S. Martin Luther King Drive in Chicago is now a historic landmark, known as the Robert S. Abbott House, preserving his legacy as a pioneer in both journalism and the fight for racial equality.
