12th Street Station was the portal for many African Americans. Thousands of Blacks came to Chicago continuously from 1890 through the 1950�s due to racism in the South, lack of opportunity, and the desire for education and employment.
The largest number of African Americans in Chicago settled between 18th Street on the North and 51st Street on the South -
State Street on the West and Cottage Grove on the East during the Great Migration.
The Chicago Defender Founded in 1905, communicated with more blacks than any other publication in the first half of the twentieth century. The newspaper encouraged the migration of black southerners to Northern cities with a circulation of over 200,000. Pullman Porters aided the nationwide distribution.
Robert S. Abbott, Founder (1868-1940)
Chicago Daily Defender
