Chicago Bee facts for kids
The Chicago Bee Header
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| Type | Weekly newspaper |
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| Format | Broadsheet, later Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Anthony Overton |
| Founded | 1925 |
| Language | English |
| Ceased publication | 1947 |
| Headquarters | Chicago Bee Building, 3647 S. State Street, Chicago |
The Chicago Bee was a weekly newspaper from Chicago. It was started in 1925 by Anthony Overton, an African American businessman. The newspaper was mostly read by African Americans. It focused on sharing "wholesome and authentic news" and had a serious, traditional style. The paper generally supported the Republican Party. Anthony Overton had also started Half-Century Magazine in 1916, which was published until 1925.
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The Chicago Bee Building
The Chicago Bee newspaper moved into its own special building between 1929 and 1931. This building was designed in the Art Deco style, which was very popular at the time. It was called the Chicago Bee Building. Before this, the newspaper shared space with Overton's Hygienic Company. Later, when Overton's bank had problems in the 1930s, the Hygienic Company moved back into the Bee building.
Editors and What the Paper Covered
Chandler Owen became an editor for the Bee after moving to Chicago. At first, the Bee supported the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a union for train workers. Chandler Owen also supported this union. However, later on, the Bee and other newspapers like The Chicago Defender changed their minds and opposed the union.
Other important editors of the paper included Ida B. Wells and Olive Diggs. Most of the people who worked on the Bee's editorial team were women. The newspaper often wrote about the black women's club movement, which was a big deal for women's groups at the time. The Chicago Bee was special because it really promoted black history and literature, more than other black newspapers in Chicago.
The "Mayor of Bronzeville" Contest
The Chicago Bee newspaper started the first "Mayor of Bronzeville" contest. This contest helped make the name "Bronzeville" popular for a neighborhood in Chicago. The idea came from James Gentry, the newspaper's theater editor. He had been running beauty contests in the neighborhood since 1916. When Gentry left the Bee in 1932, he took his contest idea to The Chicago Defender, which continued the popular contests.
The Founder and End of the Paper
The founder and owner of the Chicago Bee, Anthony Overton, was a very successful businessman. He owned companies like the Overton Hygienic Company, which made cosmetics. He had also started Half Century Magazine before the Bee. After Anthony Overton passed away in 1946, his sons tried to keep the Bee going. They changed its size to a smaller "tabloid" format, but it didn't work out. The newspaper stopped being published in 1947.
Today, not much of the Chicago Bee newspaper itself still exists. Most of what remains is the building it used to be in. It's very hard to find old copies of the paper from its early years.
Images for kids
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Chicago Bee Monthly Front Page May 4, 1941
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The Chicago Sunday Bee About Books
