The Citizen Celebrates 46 years

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Chronicling events in Chicagos neighborhoods for over 40 years, the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc. has been the eyes and ears of the Black community and has covered the issues that matter most to Blacks. In celebration of 46 years of service this April, the following list highlights the events the Citizen has covered:

July 14, 1965 Atty. William Cousins, Jr. received Chatham Avalon Park Community Councils Distinguished Resident award. The award was part of CAPCCs new program of recognizing service to the community.

March 1, 1973 Top news in this edition was an ownership dispute of the South Shore Country Club. A group of black businessmen headed by realtor Dempsey Travis wanted to buy and develop the lakefront property into middle and upper class housing with commercial and recreational facilities. But the land dispute between the Chicago Park District and Illinois Attorney Generals Office forced the group to take a wait-and see-approach. Now, the South Shore Cultural Center is part of the Park District.

April 22, 1977 Author Alex Haley won a special Pulitzer Prize for his book Roots. Haley received the award because Roots made an important contribution to literature and to the depiction of slavery. The TV version, which aired earlier in the year, was the most-watched program in television history.

April 29, 1977 Metcalfe endorses Bilandic was the page two headline when then U.S. Rep. Ralph H. Metcalfe threw his support for acting Mayor Michael Bilandic for the citys top job. Bilandic got the post after Mayor Richard J. Daley died in office in December. Metcalfe supported Bilandic because he felt Bilandic was more likely to help Blacks than his Republican challenger Dennis Block.

June 24, 1977 The first Black-owned bank opened on the citys West Side. The Community Bank of Lawndale opened at 807 S. Homan with starting capital of $2 million. During that time, there were six Black-owned banks on Chicagos south side.

January 26, 1979 Another show job by the mayor was the banner headline for this edition as then Mayor Bilandic held a Wednesday news conference to report on the snow removal cost for the Blizzard of 1979. Taxpayers paid a whopping $90,000 for a snow removal plan that did not work. Bilandic called in re-enforcements from neighboring states to help remove the snow. Subcontractors here to do the job said, that while the snows here were no worse than those faced in other cities, the snow removal problems made it look worst. Mayor Bilandic lost his re-election that year to Jane Byrne.

August 17, 1979 Then a state Senator, Harold Washington spoke at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council at the Whitney Young Library about gaining support for the Black Taxpayers Federation. Washington spoke on the subject with Clarence McClain, the federations executive director. The federation was formed, to organize Black property owners throughout Cook County for the sole purpose of protecting us against future over-assessments in real estate taxes, Washington said.

January 29, 1982 Atty. Arnette Hubbard, the first female president of the National Bar Association, announced her candidacy for Senator of the 18th District where a white candidate had already been slated by state Senator Glen Dawson in a Black majority district. The former schoolteacher said her election would be a restoration of fair play.

February 18, 1982 Independence Banks new $4.3 million, four-level, 44,000 square foot facility opened at its new location at 80th and Cottage Grove Ave., next door to the banks previous headquarters at 7936 S. Cottage Grove. This is quite a milestone for us and the Chatham community, said Alvin J. Boutte, the banks chairman and CEO. Independence Bank was the largest Black-owned bank before it merged with ShoreBank in 1995.

October 15, 1987 Rev. Jesse L. Jackson threw his hat in for the presidential bid for the second time. The announcement was made during the National Rainbow Coalition Convention held in Raleigh, North Carolina. I want to serve my country, Jackson said of his White House bid. He had previously run in 1984.

October 22-25, 1987 Community activist and radio host Lu Palmer announced plans to raise funds for the retrial of former Ald. Wallace Davis, who was found guilty on federal extortion and bribery charges.

December 3, 1987 Approximately one week after Mayor Harold Washingtons death, the Citizen published a special issue to honor the life of Chicagos first Black mayor. Washington died in office on November 25, 1987 at the age of 65. Former Sixth ward alderman, Eugene Sawyer was elected Chicagos next mayor in a 29-19 vote over then Fourth Ward Alderman Tim Evans.

March 19-22, 1992 Carol Moseley Braun won the March 1992 primary election that brought her one step closer to winning one of Illinois U.S. Senate seats. She defeated both Alan Dixon and Albert Hofeld for the Democratic nomination. On November 3, 1992, Moseley Braun became the first African American woman ever elected to the United States Senate.

June 11-14, 1992 South Suburban residents and community leaders held an old-fashion sit-in to save the Black-owned Harvey Chrysler Plymouth dealership. Among the protesters were Louanner Peters and the Rev. Tyrone Crider. The dealership was $600,000 in debt and was facing liquidation of its assets.

September 23, 1993 AT&T Depicts Monkey Image to Communicate with Blacks reads the banner headline in this edition. AT&T came under fire for a graphic used in a company magazine that showed communications with the African continent with a monkey character. The graphic had a globe of telecommunications with every country America, South America, France and the Soviet Union depicted by humans. But Africa was depicted by a sitting buck-eyed monkey. I am deeply saddened by the racist illustrations that appear in the September FOCUS magazine, stated AT&T Chairman Robert Allen.

October 5, 1995 Former NFL Superstar, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty for the double murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. In other news, William Garth, publisher and CEO of the Citizen Newspaper was elected the first Black president of the Illinois Press Association.

October 19, 1995 A day of atonement. A meeting with the spirit of Men defining their purpose, their being, their destiny. Those words described the atmosphere of Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhans historic Million Man March held on October 16. Nearly 1.5 million men gathered at the National Mall; and the Citizen Newspapers pages and words captured the spirit and intent of the dusk to dawn program. It was filled with different inspirational speakers, mostly notably 10-year-old Alleynde Baptiste.

February 26, 1998 Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the appointment of Terry G. Hillard, Superintendent of Police. In an interview with the paper, Hillard said he wanted the department to focus on eradicating gangs and drug activity in the city. Those are the two things that are contributing to the decline of our citys neighborhoods, he told the Citizen.

December 24, 1998 Dorothy Brown officials announced her candidacy for the Chicagos City Treasurers office. The now Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County filed 42,000 signatures at the Chicago Board of Elections. Brown took a leave of absence as a general auditor for the Chicago Transit Authority to peruse a serious campaign against incumbent Miriam Santos, who was facing federal indictment for extortion.

May 13, 1999 The Quentis Bernard Garth (QBG) Foundation celebrated its first graduating class of college scholarship recipients in this issue. The foundation, named in memory of Citizen Newspapers Publisher/CEO William Garths deceased son, awarded scholarships to 12 students who completed their four-year degrees and who were either gainfully employed, interning in their professions or enrolled in graduate school.

June 29, 2000 Roseland residents were leery of a possible serial killer looming the streets as police recovered the decomposed body of a woman in the 11000 block of Edgebrook. The discovery was the sixth such body of an African-American woman found in the area since May. At the time police would not classify the cases as the work of a serial killer, but said there were similarities.

March 23, 2000 Three of four Chicago police officers involved in the vehicle chase and shooting death of 26-year-old LaTanya Haggerty were fired, a decision handed down by the Chicago Police Board, the Citizen Newspapers reported. The case sparked weeks of protests after it was learned that Haggerty, a passenger in the vehicle being pursued, was unarmed when Officer Serena Daniels fatally shot her once in the chest. Daniels, along with Officers Stafford Wilson and Michael Williams were fired for violating police procedures.

August 17, 2000 More than 100 community residents attended the groundbreaking ceremony for House of Kicks, the first African-American owned and operated indoor amusement park in the Midwest. The now defunct entertainment complex was the brainchild of Edward Gardner, co-founder of Soft Sheen Products.

June 8, 2005 FBI exhumed Emmett Tills body in hopes of finding further evidence possibly linking others to the 14-year-olds lynching in Money, Mississippi in 1955. Till was killed for allegedly wolf-whistling at a white woman while visiting relatives. I know this had to happen if we are going to continue with the investigation, said Simeon Wright, Tills cousin.

August 17, 2005 Hundreds attended the homegoing of Ebony/Jet founder and publisher John H. Johnson held at Rockefeller Chapel on the University of Chicago campus. Johnson died from heart failure at age 87. Among those eulogizing Johnson were President Bill Clinton, Black Enterprise Publisher Earl Graves, radio host Tom Joyner, Playboy Enterprise heiress Christie Hefner and then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

March 29, 2006 Hyde Park native Shani Davis who won a gold medal in 1,000- and the silver in 1,500 meter races was greeted to a heros welcome at the Harold Washington Cultural Center. More than 800 fans packed the facility to see the Olympian, who became the first Black to win individual medals in the Winter Olympics. A spat with teammate Chad Hedrick did not tarnish Davis experience in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turino, Italy. It just shows all the hard work and stuff wasnt for nothing, Davis said.

February 10, 2007 U.S. Senator Barack Obama officially announced his presidential candidacy on the steps of the Old State Capital in Springfield, IL. Obama called on a new generation to rise up with him to help transform a government that seemingly works for lobbyists and special interests. They think they own this government, he said. But we are here to take it back. The time for that kind of politics is over.

November 4, 2008 - Then U.S. Senator Barack Obama wins the U.S. Presidency against Senator John McCain. He became the first African American elected president. That evening, Obama held a victory rally in Chicago at Grant Park where thousands shared in this historic moment and millions of others worldwide.

January 20, 2009- Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. As the nations first Black president, his campaign takes its place in history as being one of the most efficient and well organized campaigns ever run-- utilizing the Internet to organize supporters from the ground-up.

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