52 years and still going strong, the Citizen celebrates 52 years of service
52 years and still going strong, the Citizen celebrates 52 years of service
The Citizen was founded by the late Illinois Congressman Augustus Alexander “ Gus”
Savage in 1965, during the height of the Civil Rights era and yet on the helm of the
passing of the Voter Rights Act. Through three newspapers including the Chatham Citizen, Southend Citizen and Weekend Citizen, the Citizen Newspaper chain quickly became the voice for the Black community, telling the stories of many from the Westside to the South side and throughout neighborhoods in Chicago.
Moving forward, in the late “80’s” under the leadership of William Garth, Sr., who purchased the newspaper chain from Savage, the Citizen added the Hyde Park and South Suburban Citizen Newspapers, making it the largest Black-owned chain of audited weeklies in the Midwest with a circulation of 121,000 and a readership over 400,000.
The Citizen Newspapers can be found weekly whether rain, snow, sleet or shine at local
grocery stores, churches, libraries, schools and even on your door step. For 52 years, the
Citizen has stood committed to informing, challenging and contributing to the growth of the community. A trusted and reliable news source, the Citizen has earned the right to be called, “The Eyes and Ears” of the community.
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Stacy Davis Gates
