Black Press Expands Nationally, Reaching Millions of Readers

By the early 1920s, The Chicago Defender—founded by Robert Abbott—had a national circulation of over 250,000, reaching Black readers across the country and actively encouraging migration from the South. The Pittsburgh Courier, the Baltimore Afro-American, and the Norfolk Journal and Guide similarly expanded their reach, creating a national Black public sphere that circulated political commentary, cultural criticism, and news unavailable in white-owned press. These papers collectively formed the backbone of Black political and cultural life.