Chicago Defender exhibit, announcement look back to the future

Photos from the past of the Chicago Defender's Journey to Empowerment exhibit Feb. 15 showcased historic African American Chicago politicians. Patrons also witnessed a rededication to the original focus of the 102-year-old paper.

An overflow crowd viewed photographs from the Defender's photo archives, networked, munched on appetizers and sipped complimentary wine or Courvoisier. First, Defender CEO Hiram Jackson addressed the crowd.

"I'm 41. Many of us 40 and younger, we never had the appreciation of working in the civil rights movement," Jackson said. "A lot of us don't have the passion that our mentors have about what it means to be African American in this community. Some of the things that our elderly folks had to go through to make it so that we could have an exhibit like this in a place like this."

"So we thought that it would be good to have this kind of exhibit to show that we do care and that we do understand that we didn't just pop up here and get into Ivy League schools. Someone had to pay a price for us to get to this."

Zakia T. Clayton a Nestl" sales representative, said she appreciated learning about the history of the black political power in Chicago through the exhibit.

"To know as a younger person we're still here, and we're still reading and we still want to know about the political power of the black media that's out there," Clayton said. "It was very impressive. I don't think I have a favorite because there are so many."

Fourth Ward Alderwomen Toni Preckwinkle and a few aldermanic candidates all networked with members of the Bronzeville business community, journalists, artists and local residents. Large 11-by-14-inch photos of powerful Chicago political figures and notables like Harold Washington, Barack Obama, "Lu" Palmer, Cecille Partee and Oprah Winfrey, dominated the room, a testament to black Chicago's rich history. A 1985 black-and-white photo of Winfrey and Washington hugging, and a color photo of Barack and Michelle Obama walking through ticker tape at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston were conversation pieces.

Ayana Haaruun, Defender archivist, assembled the project and enjoyed learning about the history she uncovered.

"The idea came about because this is an election year," Haaruun said. " And the idea was the paper would honor the history of black politics." Haaruun said she went to elders, current politicians, academics and historians to re-trace the lineage of black politics in Chicago, drawing on photos, articles, books and written and oral histories.

"Things started coming together and I started to realize that there were periods " there was a key player," Haaruun said, referring to the appointees, donors and colleagues who comprised the "machines" in local politics. "There may have been a mayor and then around the mayor was his "boys." Haaruun named several: the [Richard] Daly crew, the anti-Daly crew, the [Harold] Washington era and the post-Washington era.

"I started to see similarities and the way the whole political process works in Chicago and its amazing," Haaruun said. She also said the next exhibit may feature the work of long-time Defender political cartoonist Chester Commodore.

Jackson also mentioned the historical influence of black newspapers: the Defender's recruitment of blacks from the south to Chicago in the 20s, the role of the Pittsburgh Courier in bringing blacks to the Democratic party and how the papers almost single-handedly got Jackie Robinson signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers system in the 1940s.

"The Chicago Defender is important, Jackson said. "The work is too important. Now what we have to do as a company is raise the voice of the Chicago Defender and get it to a point that to voice is relevant to show you that we care.

"Tonight, I want to announce we are going to put the paper back in the hands of the city of Chicago. We're going to put more local news in that paper. And we're going to bring it back home."

ON THE EXHIBIT

The exhibit, at the South Side Community Arts Center, 3831 S. Michigan, ends Sunday.