The Crusader Newspaper Group

About

The Chicago Crusader Group

The Crusader Newspaper Group consists of two weekly newspapers in Illinois and Indiana featuring news, commentary and life style reporting geared toward the African American community. The Chicago Crusader and Gary Crusader, published by Black newspaper champion Dorothy R. Leavell, reach two unique markets with a shared $47 billion (annual) consumer buying power. It is circulated in twenty-three Chicago communities recognized as predominantly African American.

The Chicago Crusader, first published in 1940, was co-founded by businessman and labor leader Balm Leavell, Jr. along with partner Joseph H. Jefferson. Originally established as the news organ of the National Labor Relations League, the Chicago Crusader soon emerged as the leading voice for tens of thousands African Americans on issues of education, business, civil rights, criminal justice and civic affairs.

From the beginning, the Chicago Crusader has championed the interests and chronicled the rich history of Black Chicago. Today it remains the city’s most celebrated weekly, reaching more than 500,000 readers. It has received numerous awards and recognitions for its reporting and photojournalism spanning eight decades.

The Crusader Newspaper Group, with offices in Chicago and Gary, remains committed to its mission to improving the lives and promoting the interests of African Americans. It is a voting member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a trade organization that represents more than 250 African American newspapers in the United States and its territories.

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