Photo by Dorion Lewis. R'Ryion Howard, Administrative Intern; Katara Patton, Writer; Dyanna Knight Lewis, Vice-President; The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Rainbow/PUSH; Tia Carol Jones, Managing Editor; Carolyn Palmer, Society Columnist; Carl West, 12 Voice Columnist; and Jonathan Jackson, Social Media Intern.
Names like Ida B. Wells, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes and Emmett Till were called out in front of The Chicago Defender offices Wednesday as the community paid homage to the historical paper where the esteemed writers contributed their journalistic talents and the story of the murder of the young Black boy was first told with graphic pictures of his corpse. July 10, 2019, was another historic day for the iconic publication—it marked the day of the last regular print edition of the paper. Last week, the paper, owned by Real Times Media, announced it would print its last regular edition in an effort to focus solely on digital publishing. Special print editions will still be published but not weekly.
The last regular print edition was celebrated as community members, supporters, media, and Defender staff gathered outside at 4445 S. King Drive, scooped up the final regular print edition, took pictures in front of the building and reminisced about the paper many of them grew up reading. Through its 114-year history, the paper reached across Chicago and deep into Southern States, offering a glimpse of hope and opportunity to those who dared participate in the Great Migration and come North. It also exposed atrocities in the country, such as the Till case. On Wednesday, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Founder and President, Rainbow Push Coalition, shared stories of the paper as students from Columbia College and local television stations listened in and interviewed him and Dyanna Knight Lewis, Defender Vice President.
Even while community members held up phones showcasing the new digital edition, nostalgia reigned as others recalled how they read the paper daily when growing up. One sentiment however captured the true essence of the change; one community member said the move to total digital publishing was like turning in cassette tapes for CDs and then trading those in for the streaming services now available for music. The same good music is available; it is just in a different mode. And likewise, It’s a new day at the Defender and the historic paper will now live on through the technology of the digital age.
Photo y Wyn-Win Communications. R’riyon Draine, Chicago Defender Administrative Intern; along with students from the Columbia College Chicago Summer at Columbia Program; Amara Alexander, Connor Ditelberg; Ursula Sturgeon and Jake Kaufman; and Jonathan Jackson, Chicago Defender Social Media Intern.
Photo by Dorion Lewis.
Toi Salter, of Salter Financial Management, LLC; with Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President.
photo by Dorion Lewis. Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President; Toi Salter, of Salter Financial Management LLC; Carolyn Palmer, Chicago Defender Society Columnist; Tia Carol Jones, Chicago Defender Managing Editor; and Katara Patton, Chicago Defender writer.
photo by Dorion Lewis. Carolyn Palmer, Chicago Defender Society Columnist; and Peggy Montes, of the Bronzeville Children’s Museum.
photo by Dorion Lewis. Peggy Montes, of the Bronzeville Children’s Museum, picks up the final print edition of the Chicago Defender Newspaper.
photo by Dorion Lewis. Chicago Defender Vice President Dyanna Knight Lewis; The Rev. Janette Wilson, Rainbow/PUSH; …; Carolyn Palmer, Chicago Defender Society Columnist; Katara Patton, Chicago Defender Writer; and R’Ryion Howard, Chicago Defender Administrative Intern.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Columbia College Chicago High School Summer Journalism Program students, with Professor Curtis Lawrence; Chicago Defender Intern R’riyon Draine; Chicago Defender Writer Katara Patton; Chicago Defender Society Columnist Carolyn Palmer; 12 Voices Columnist Carl West; and Chicago Defender Intern Jonathan Jackson.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Students from Columbia College Chicago High School Journalism Program talk to The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, of Rainbow/PUSH, while Professor Curtis Lawrence and Chicago Defender Vice President stand by.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. R’Ryion Howard, Administrative Intern; Katara Patton, Writer; Dyanna Knight Lewis, Vice-President; The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Rainbow/PUSH; Tia Carol Jones, Managing Editor; Carolyn Palmer, Society Columnist; Carl West, 12 Voice Columnist; and Jonathan Jackson, Social Media Intern.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Chicago Defender Managing Editor, with Columbia College Chicago Professor and Students from Columbia College Chicago Summer High School Journalism Program.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, of Rainbow/PUSH, speaks to Evelyn Holmes, of ABC7 Chicago.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. ABC 7 Evelyn Holmes interviews Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Wynona Redmond, of Wyn-Win Communications, with Columbia College Chicago High School Summer Journalism Program students; Professor Curtis Lawrence; and Tia Carol Jones, Chicago Defender Managing Editor.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. NBC 5’s Patrick Fazio interviews The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, of Rainbow/PUSH.
Photo by Wy-Win Communications. R’riyon Draine, Administrative Intern; Katara Patton, Writer; Dyanna Knight Lewis, Vice-President; The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Rainbow/PUSH; Tia Carol Jones, Managing Editor; Carolyn Palmer, Society Columnist; Carl West, 12 Voice Columnist; and Jonathan Jackson, Social Media Intern.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President, with a butterfly symbolizing Resurrection, Endurance, Change, Hope and Life.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Evelyn Holmes, of ABC 7; Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President; Wynona Redmond, of Wyn-Win Communications; Al Kendall; Tia Carol Jones, Chicago Defender Managing Editor; Midge Kimberly, of Champagne & Beyond; Patrick Fazio, of NBC 5; Adorn Lewis Mitchell; Carolyn Palmer, Chicago Defender Society Columnist; Abe Thompson; and Larry Huggins, of Riteway-Huggins Construction.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President, with Larry Huggins, of Riteway-Huggins Construction, and Tia Carol Jones, Chicago Defender Managing Editor.
Photo by Spencer Bibbs. Curtis Lawrence, of Columbia College Chicago, stands with Wynona Redmond and Adorn Lewis Mitchell, of Wyn-Win Communications.
Photo by Dorion Lewis. Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President; Carolyn Palmer, Chicago Defender Society Columnist; and Tia Carol Jones, Chicago Defender Managing Editor.
Photo by Spencer Bibbs.
Wynona Redmond, of Wyn-Win Communications, stands with Chicago Defender staff.
Photos by Spencer Bibbs.
Students from Columbia College Chicago’s Summer Institute interview Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President.
Photo by Spencer Bibbs.
Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President and The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, of Rainbow/PUSH, speak to students from Columbia College Chicgao’s Summer Institute.
Photo by Spencer Bibbs.
Carl West, Chicago Defender 12 Voices Columnist; Tia Carol Jones, Chicago Defender Managing Editor; Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President; Evelyn Holmes, of ABC 7; Midge Kimberly, of Champagne & Beyond; Nathaniel Ward, of City Colleges of Chicago; Carolyn Palmer, Chicago Defender Society Columnist; and Charlene Rhinehart, Editor-in-Chief of Wealthy Women Daily.
Photo by Wyn-Win Communications. 3rd Alderman Pat Dowell stopped by the Chicago Defender Office to pick up the final print edition of the newspaper.
photo by Malrie Sonier. Chicago Defender Managing Editor Tia Carol Jones, with Historian Dr. Timuel Black.
photo by Malrie Sonier. idge Kimberly of Champagne & Beyond; Dyanna Knight Lewis, Chicago Defender Vice President; Wynona Redmond of Wyn-Win Communications; Historian Dr. Timuel Black; Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter; and Carolyn Palmer, Chicago Defender Society Columnist.
