Black History Month: Have you ever heard of The Crusader?
How much do you know about Rockford's Black history? In celebration and recognition of Black History Month, the Rockford Register Star has partnered with the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room to bring our readers a local Black history fact of the day.
Visit rrstar.com or the Rockford Register Star newspaper each day throughout the month of February to read about the people, places and events that played significant roles in shaping the rich fabric of Rockford's Black history.
Joseph Scott Saunders, Jr., the creator, publisher, reporter and photographer among other roles, founded The Crusader newspaper in the early 1950s. The purpose was to bring balance to Rockford's news landscape and to provide a platform for reporting on the Black experience within the Rockford area.
The newspaper was published throughout the 1950s.
Want to learn more about Joseph Scott Saunders? Visit the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room at rockfordpubliclibrary.org/local-history or in person at the Hart Interim Library, 214 N. Church St.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Black History Month: Have you ever heard of The Crusader?
