Robert Sengstacke Abbott (born December 24th, 1870) created the Chicago Defender, which explored themes relating to racial injustice, especially lynching in the south. He fought to abolish Jim Crow laws and advocate equal rights for African Americans, or The Race as described on the newspaper.

The paper was challenged by many places in the South especially after encouraging "The Great [Northern] Migration", a movement that had 1 million Black people travel North including 100,000 from Chicago. Abbott and his controversial newspaper played a key role in civil rights advocacy and promoted better economic opportunities.

The Defender’s success led Abbott to be one of the first African American millionaires. The high circulation and success of this prominent Black-owned paper and the ideas explored helped pave the way for future Black publications.