Chicago Defender Charities Inc

A nonprofit organization

The Chicago Defender Newspaper was founded by Robert Sengstacke Abbott on May 5, 1905 to address African American issues. In 1921, he started the Chicago Defender Jr., a section for children. It was edited by Robert Watkins, known as Bud Billiken ®, and included a Bud Billiken ® Club application. The Billiken is the guardian angel of children according to Chinese legend. Working under Mr. Abbott, David Kellum was a key member of the Bud Billiken ® team and was often called Mr. Bud Billiken ®.

 

In 1929, Mr. Abbott started the Bud Billiken ® Parade to provide underprivileged youth with the chance to be in the limelight. Hundreds of thousands have lined the parade route with millions viewing festivities on TV. Today, the parade features dozens of bands, drill teams, marching units, floats and more.

 

The Bud Billiken ® Parade is the 2nd largest in the United States and is an institution that extends across generations and the country. It takes place every 2nd Saturday in August with picnics and other events throughout the day.

 

Many celebrities have appeared in this event. From the past, it has seen Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Roy Rogers, Lena Horne and former President Harry S. Truman. In recent years, the parade has enjoyed the company of then Senator Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, L.L. Cool J, Spike Lee, Michael Jordan, Frank Thomas, Donny Osmond, Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry and more.

 

The Chicago Defender Charities was founded by the late Chicago Defender Publisher John H. Sengstacke in 1945 as the charities arm of the Chicago Defender. Its focus is the African American community with production of the Bud Billiken ® Parade as its primary mission.

 

The Charities Scholarship Program began in 2003 and has awarded over 300 students with over 1.5 million dollars in scholarships. Institutions attended by students include Howard, Hampton, Chicago State, Boston College, University of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University, and University of Illinois, to name a few.

 

The Bronzeville Veterans Day Parade began in 1926 with the Charities accepting primary responsibility in 2008. It takes place on Chicago's south side with about twenty units participating, celebrating contributions of African Americans to our nation's military.

 

A traditional program of the Charities is its giveaways during the Holiday Season and the Letters to Santa campaign for children.

 

Recent programs of the Charities include Real Talk, a health and wellness initiative, the historic Bud Billiken ® Parade King and Queen Contest, and a Gospel Festival following the parade.

 

ABC7 Chicago and the Chicago Defender Charities recently signed a three year agreement for broadcast of the parade. The national syndicated broadcast of the parade returned in 2015 by way of an agreement with SepiaTone Media.

 

The Charities has a partnership with Smart Chicago Collaborative, a civic organization devoted to improving lives in Chicago through technology. They helped us expand year round support of performing youth teams. We have provided them with new opportunities to cover their events and provide publicity on our online media. Our crown achievement is the live streaming of a recent dance competition on our website and the use of electronic voting to select winners by popular vote for this event and the Bud Billiken ® Parade. These are firsts for the Chicago Defender Charities.

 

These are tremendous achievements and responsibilities and are a momentum that provides new opportunities. However, this is just the beginning. With our new capabilities, we intend to expand support for all generations covering mentorship, health, wellness, training, and more. We intend to lead by example, encouraging others to join our mission for a collective approach to better serve our communities. We invite you to join us in this new endeavor to make a difference that better serves us all.

 

The Charities Board has expanded over the years with members having backgrounds covering education, accounting, law, the military, community service, management, and more. Today, leadership of the Charities is in the hands of Marc A. Sengstacke, Ph.D., Executive Director. He continues a tradition established by past leadership of the late John H. Sengstacke, former Charities President and Chicago Defender Publisher, the late Dr. Marjorie Stewart Joyner, former Charities President, the late Frederick D. Sengstacke, former Charities President and Chicago Defender Publisher, and Retired U.S. Army Col. Eugene F. Scott, the current Charities President and former Chicago Defender Publisher.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Chicago Defender Charities Inc

Tax id (EIN)

36-2553933

Address

3509 S KING DRIVE
CHICAGO, IL 60653