''The Chicago Conservator'' was an American newspaper. Founded by attorney Ferdinand Barnett in 1878, it was the first African-American newspaper in Chicago.

History

Barnett founded the newspaper in 1878 and served as co-editor with R. P. Bird. A.T. Hall served as the paper's city editor during its early years and was in charge of the office. During his tenure as editor, Barnett used the newspaper to campaign for the capitalization of the word "

Negro In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...

". The ''Conservator'' focused mainly on editorials and commentary, although it did feature factual news pieces. It also published stories chronicling activities at local churches, social clubs and black fraternal organizations.

Alexander Clark Alexander G. Clark (February 25, 1826 – May 31, 1891) was an African-American businessman and activist who served as United States Ambassador to Liberia in 1890-1891, where he died in office. Clark is notable for suing in 1867 to gain admission ...

and his son Alexander Clark, Jr. purchased the ''Conservator'' in 1882 and owned it until 1887. In 1884, Alexander Clark Sr. began editing the paper himself. In 1893,

Ida B. Wells Ida B. Wells (full name: Ida Bell Wells-Barnett) (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for ...

began writing for the newspaper. She later purchased a partial ownership in the publication. She married Barnett in 1895 and then took over full ownership of the ''Conservator''. She was the editor from 1895 to 1897. After Wells retired to raise her children, D. Robert Wilkins became the editor of the ''Conservator''. He was a proponent of the

Niagara Movement The Niagara Movement (NM) was a black civil rights organization founded in 1905 by a group of activists—many of whom were among the vanguard of African-American lawyers in the United States—led by W. E. B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter. ...

, and the paper became very critical of

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

under Wilkins' tenure. Washington was so upset that he gave money to W. Allison Sweeney, the editor of the ''Chicago Leader'', one of the ''Conservators rival publications, hoping to put Wilkins out of business. When that did not work, he tried unsuccessfully to buy the paper. In January 1908, Wilkins was replaced by

Jesse Max Barber Jesse Max Barber (July 5, 1878 – September 20, 1949) was an African-American journalist, teacher and dentist. Biography Born in Blackstock, South Carolina, to former slave parents, Jesse Max Barber was educated at Benedict College and Vir ...

, the former editor of ''

The Voice of the Negro ''The Voice of the Negro'' was a literary periodical aimed at a national audience of African Americans which was published from 1904 to 1907. It was created in Atlanta, Georgia in June 1904 by Austin N. Jenkins, the white manager of the publishing ...

'', who had moved to Chicago from Atlanta following the

Atlanta race riot Violent attacks by armed mobs of White Americans against African Americans in Atlanta, Georgia, began on the evening of September 22, 1906, and lasted through September 24, 1906. The events were reported by newspapers around the world, includi ...

. After Barber penned a negative editorial concerning Washington, he used his influence with the ''Conservators stockholders to have Barber fired.

Monroe Alpheus Majors Monroe Alpheus Majors (October 12, 1864 – December 10, 1960)"Majors, Monroe Alpheus"
...

, a supporter of Washington, became the editor of the ''Conservator'' in 1908 and served in that position until 1911. The paper went out of business in 1914.

Notable contributors

, editor * Ferdinand Barnett, editor and owner *

John Edward Bruce John Edward Bruce, also known as Bruce Grit or J. E. Bruce-Grit (February 22, 1856 – August 7, 1924), was an American journalist, historian, writer, orator, civil rights activist and Pan-African nationalist. He was born a slave in Maryland; ...

, Washington correspondent *

, editor and owner *

Monroe Alpheus Majors Monroe Alpheus Majors (October 12, 1864 – December 10, 1960)"Majors, Monroe Alpheus"
...

, editor *

, writer, editor and owner

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago Conservator, The Defunct African-American newspapers Defunct newspapers published in Chicago 1878 establishments in Illinois 1914 disestablishments in Illinois