Robert S. Abbott - A True African-American Business Leader

When it comes to the newsprint and media world, who doesn't know business leader Robert S. Abbott?

He's the man behind the success of the country's most influential black weekly paper back in the 1900s - the Chicago Defender.

Abbott was staunchly opposed to any form of racism. And with his indomitable spirit and considerable entrepreneurial skills, Abbott was able to catapult the Chicago Defender to national prominence.

Business Leader Robert S. Abbott - His Story

Robert Abbott wasn't exactly an overnight success - far from it actually. Abbott had to battle racial discrimination, which made it impossible for him to work as a lawyer or printer. Abbott then turned his sights on journalism.

Abbott was born to parents who were former slaves. From his humble beginnings, Abbott persevered, mastering the printing trade at Virginia's Hampton Institute. For his law degree, Abbott moved to Chicago in 1897 and worked odd jobs till he graduated from the Kent College of Law.

In May 1905, Abbott showed up on Chicago's streets selling copies of his Chicago Defender with the come-on of being the only weekly in the city worth a cheap two cents. With only the kitchen table of his landlord as desk, Abbott set out to make his publication dream a reality. Abbott served as the newspaper's editor, business manager, publisher, sales force and reporting staff.

Abbott's entrepreneurial expertise paved the way for further national prominence for the Chicago Defender. He recruited Pullman porters and entertainers to handle the paper's national circulation in exchange for newspaper coverage. The Chicago Defender became the first black broadsheet to hit a circulation of close to 100,000. It was the first to have a full-page comics section and the first to have a health column.

Abbott became one of the first African-American millionaires as a result of the Chicago Defender's success and is considered the single greatest force in the field of African-American journalism.

The Robert S. Abbott Quick Bio


Full name: Robert Sengstacke Abbott

Birth date: November 28, 1868 (deceased February 29, 1940)

Birthplace: Georgia

Company: Chicago Defender

Industry: Publishing Print Media

Key Success Traits: unwavering determination in the face of adversity, a dreamer AND doer

Additional:

Abbott created the Chicago Defender back in 1905 with only 25 cents in his pocket and a press run of less than 400 copies. The year 1921 saw the newspaper turn national, with a total of 70 employees and a plant that's valued at a cool half a million dollars.