The ''Chicago Star'' was a weekly publication, founded in 1946 and financed by

Trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

s. The board of directors were Ernest De Maio,

Frank Marshall Davis Frank Marshall Davis (December 31, 1905 – July 26, 1987) was an American journalist, poet, political and labor movement activist, and businessman. Davis began his career writing for African American newspapers in Chicago. He moved to Atlant ...

, William L. Patterson, Grant Oakes, and William Sennett. Davis was the executive editor, Sennett the general manager, and Carl Hirsch managing editor.

Howard Fast Howard Melvin Fast (November 11, 1914 – March 12, 2003) was an American novelist and television writer. Fast also wrote under the pen names E.V. Cunningham and Walter Ericson. Biography Early life Fast was born in New York City. His mother, ...

was a columnist, and

Rockwell Kent Rockwell Kent (June 21, 1882 – March 13, 1971) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, writer, sailor, adventurer and voyager. Biography Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York. Kent was of English descent. He lived much of ...

a contributing editor. In an introduction to a book about Davis, John Edgar Tidwell indicated that the first issue was launched on July 4th to "

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

itself in the holiday's symbolic meaning." The paper carried Davis's weekly editorial "Frank-ly Speaking". The newspaper has been described as "openly leftist". In 1947, the ''Spokane Daily Chronicle'' called the paper "a red weekly" saying that it "has most of the markings of a Communist front publication." The Chicago Star had a goal to "promote a policy of cooperation and unity between Russia and the United States" seeking to "

void Void may refer to: Science, engineering, and technology * Void (astronomy), the spaces between galaxy filaments that contain no galaxies * Void (composites), a pore that remains unoccupied in a composite material * Void, synonym for vacuum, a ...

the red-baiting tendencies of the mainstream press." One of its writers was

Richard Durham Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...

, who would later produce the notable radio series ''

Destination Freedom ''Destination Freedom'' was a weekly radio program produced by WMAQ in Chicago from 1948 to 1950 that presented biographical histories of prominent African-Americans such as George Washington Carver, Satchel Paige, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tu ...

''.

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

: Chronicling America �
The Chicago Star (Chicago, Ill.) 1946–1948
/ref>

References

Defunct newspapers published in Chicago Newspapers established in 1946 Publications disestablished in 1948 {{Chicago-stub