Featured
Chicago Home of “The First Lady of the Black Press” Is Falling Apart
By Erick Johnson (The Chicago Crusader, NNPA Member)
The roof is coming apart. The creaky wooden porch is aging with growing cracks. And the navy blue paint that once adorned the steps is peeling away. Nearly 100 years ago, this white, two-story house in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood on the city’s south side became the home of Ethel L. Payne.
As a Black journalist, Payne broke racial barriers as a White House correspondent at a time when few Black newspapers had a bureau in the nation’s capital. During her illustrious career with the Chicago Defender, Payne grilled five U.S. presidents and met Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. By the time she died in 1991 at 79, Payne had traveled the world, won numerous awards and earned the title, “The First Lady of the Black Press.”
Not many people know that Payne was raised in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood, located on the city’s south side, an where many famous Blacks who made their mark in American history grew up. The house Payne lived in is a forgotten relic of her past. For 123 years, it has stood in the 6200 block of Throop Street.
Time and neglect have beset Payne’s childhood home as crime and shootings continue to force residents to leave the neighborhood. It’s where Blacks who were fortunate enough to afford a home in the area worked hard to live the American dream after fleeing racism in the South. But what was once a symbol of pride, Payne’s childhood home is now a piece of history that’s crumbling. It’s decaying frame represents the struggle to preserve the legacy of America’s Black trailblazers.
Payne was born in Chicago in 1911. Her parents came from Memphis, Tennessee and were among a few Blacks who lived in the city before the population in the “Black Belt” exploded during the great Migration years later. Payne’s father, William A. Payne worked in the union Stockyards before he secured a job as a Pullman Porter. Payne’s mother, Bessie, a Latin scholar from Indiana, was a housewife.
Ethel was the second youngest of six children. She had four sisters and one brother. By the time they settled into Englewood, the neighborhood had become integrated, but racism was still rampant in other areas of the city.
Ethel Payne with her brother Lemuel in front of the family’s home in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, circa 1915. (HarperCollins)
The Paynes lived in various homes in Englewood until they purchased a wooden house that was built in1893. It still sits among a row of small, four-room houses on Throop Street. The Payne family was among several people who lived on a street that was known as “the row.”
Across the street, the family attended Greater St. John AME Church, the oldest Black church in Englewood. In her neighborhood, Payne and her siblings was fortunate to attend schools that were better equipped and had a large white student population. She walked to then Copernicus Elementary School (its now Anna R.Langford Community Academy) just three blocks down the street.
When she didn’t have enough money for the streetcar, Payne walked to Lindblom Math and Science Academy (It was then called Robert Lindblom Technical High), a massive, neoclassical building at 6130 S.Wolcott Ave.
All of these buildings remain beacons in the community, but Payne’s home is falling apart, forgotten.
Payne’s childhood home is 700 square feet. According to property records, it has two bedrooms and one bathroom. In comparing the house to an old photo of a very young Payne standing in front of it with her brother, one can see that the front porch was enclosed to enlarge the living room.
The median home value for homes in Englewood is $75,600, according to zillow.com. Property records show that Payne’s childhood home property is not up for sale and the home appeared occupied during a recent visitby a reporter from the Chicago Crusader. The reporter knocked on the door several times, but no one responded.
On the outside, the house is in need of repairs. Years of rust cover the iron railings on the porch. Chunks of concrete have been chipped off the porch steps. The shingles on the roof appear loose and unsecured.
The house sits between two other old homes that are in better shape.
Their polished exteriors seem to have been renovated in recent years. Overall, the block where Payne played on the street has decaying homes and empty lots where garbage litters the overgrown grass.
Over the years, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events have placed crimson-colored markers in front of homes where prominent Blacks have stayed. There’s one on Vincennes Avenue where Nat King Cole once lived. There are also ones marking the homes of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, Aviator Bessie Coleman, Journalist Ida B.Wells and Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor. But there is no marker in front of Payne’s childhood home.
Tourists or history buffs are unlikely to visit the area. Among Chicago’s neighborhoods, Englewood continues to have one of the highest rates of violent crimes. On March 31, a man was shot and stabbed in the area. On the same day, two men were shot in Englewood. On March 30, a 20-yearold man was shot in the stomach.
Chicago’s famous Bronzeville neighorhood traditionally has drawn the most attention from Chicago’s most prominent Black historians. Because of scarce resources to preserve relics located outside the “Black Belt,” there is little hope to preserve Payne’s childhood home in Englewood as an important relic to her legacy. It’s a concern that historians agree needs to be addressed.
“It’s important for folks to know about the legacy of famous Blacks from Chicago,” said Lorenzo Young, a Black historian who conducts tours in Bronzeville.
Featured
Voter Education – Homeownership
Get informed about homeownership and voter education this Friday on WIN-TV! Tune in for valuable resources and important community conversations.
Friday, September 25 from NOON to 1 P.M., Let’s Talk on WIN-TV brings you conversations packed with information you can use!
🗳️ First up: Rev. George Gilbert discusses the newly launched Multi-State Voter Education, Mobilization and Protection Campaign and the importance of voter education and engagement.
🏡 Next: DCHFA joins us to share valuable homeownership resources and help DC residents better understand the programs and opportunities available to them.
And finally: A conversation with Author, Historian, Archaeologist Dr. Cheryl LaRoche
Three conversations. One powerful hour!
📺 Watch Let’s Talk Friday, September 25, from NOON to 1 P.M. on WIN-TV!
Community. Culture. Conversation. Connection.
Don’t miss it—tune in, get informed and share the broadcast!
Black History
Doulas Are Helping Black California Moms Navigate Pregnancy–Even as High Mortality Rates Persist
In California, Black women experience the highest pregnancy-related mortality rate — about four times greater than other women, according to statistics. From 2021 to 2023, the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths included cardiovascular disease, COVID-19, hemorrhage, sepsis, amniotic fluid embolism, and pulmonary embolism.
After losing twins, Long Beach resident Cassandra Carter approached the birth of her daughter, Nyomi, last November with anxiety. She wanted support for herself and her husband, Adewole, that extended beyond routine medical care.
“Getting pregnant as a Black woman, I wanted a team around me that made me feel safe,” she said. “I know all about the mishaps that Black women experience.”
Carter, a therapist and self-described hippie, hired Yvette Perry, a doula and co-founder of Divine Birthing Services LLC in Lancaster. Perry helped Cassandra craft a detailed birth plan.
“I was worried about postpartum depression. Mrs. Yvette knows a lot about how postpartum affects men as well,” Carter explained.
Perry was present the day Nyomi was born. She held the baby when Carter or her husband needed a moment and even set up candles in the birthing suite.
“Whatever I needed for my comfort, she was there,” Carter said of Perry. “She was there as an advocate and voice. I had a really serene birthing experience because I had someone extra who wasn’t tied to me as my family.”
Perry, a doula for nearly six years, said preexisting conditions, poor communication and dismissive hospital care heighten health risks for Black mothers.
“Sometimes, Black mommies are not being heard. They don’t know they have rights. They don’t know they can say, ‘no,’” Perry explained. “Doulas empower them. We are there to educate them.”
Perry’s concerns reflect a broader public health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2024 maternal mortality report, non-Hispanic Black women in the U.S. died from pregnancy-related causes at a rate of 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births.
In California, Black women experience the highest pregnancy-related mortality rate — about four times greater than other women, according to statistics. From 2021 to 2023, the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths included cardiovascular disease, COVID-19, hemorrhage, sepsis, amniotic fluid embolism, and pulmonary embolism.
The Centering Black Mothers in California report found that structural racism — including barriers to high-quality health care, and chronic stress— disproportionately harms Black women.
In a statement to California Black Media (CBM), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said maternal mortality disparities stem from multiple factors. The department said addressing structural racism, listening to Black women’s experiences and reducing provider bias are key to closing the gap.
California began covering doula care as a Medi-Cal benefit in 2023, providing eligible patients with support during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, according to CDPH.
Whitney Dotson of Inglewood wanted an expert on pregnancy, labor, and delivery to guide her and her husband, Anthony, through the birth of their son, Anthony III. So, she hired Perry for doula support.
“It’s always more comfortable when you can have a second opinion,” she said. “Knowing she was better versed in what the options were, made me more comfortable.”
Dotson, 39, had a healthy pregnancy but faced recommendations common for expectant mothers over 35. Her doctor advised inducing labor at 39 weeks, but she hoped to carry to full term.
“I wasn’t comfortable with that,” she admitted.
Perry provided Dotson with information about induction guidelines and alternatives, helping her understand her options and communicate her preferences.
Then, Dotson returned to her doctor.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to — and this is why,’” she recalled. “He agreed and pushed the induction date back a week.”
Perry also advised Anthony on how he could support his wife during and after the pregnancy and during Anthony III’s birth. She also reminded Dotson to change birthing positions — from her back to her hands and knees.
Before Saveneh Martinez became a doula with Fierce Advocates in Contra Costa County, she was a new mom, uneducated on aspects of birth, which led to her first child, Colton, being placed in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
“I didn’t know my choices,” she said.
Martinez called it “lifesaving” for expecting moms to have a doula.
“It should be a medical right,” she said.
California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC) Senior Associate Medical Director Kimberly D. Gregory said research suggests that doulas decrease the pre-term birth rate and the likelihood of a C-section.
“Having a doula is a proactive thing to do,” she said.
Efforts are being made across the state to reduce maternal deaths.
CDPH’s Title V Action Plan aims to reduce pregnancy-related deaths among Black birthing mothers from 49.7 to 42.3 per 100,000 live births by 2030 through improvements in patient-centered care, expanding community-based perinatal teams, and addressing the social factors that contribute to poor maternal health outcomes.
CDPH’s Black Infant Health (BIH) Program and Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) have already begun to make headway.
“BIH’s prenatal group model improves key intermediate outcomes for participants, including increased social support and empowerment, better stress management, reduced depressive symptoms and gains in health knowledge and behaviors such as safe sleep practices and reduced smoking,” the CDPH told CBM.
“PEI’s early implementation results show progress across several participant-reported areas, such as improved birth experiences, breastfeeding initiation, and coparenting skills among fathers and partners,” the CDPH statement continued.
Gregory said the California Pregnancy Associated Review Committee examines maternal deaths and develops guidelines to help hospitals improve care. One of its main recommendations focuses on how hospitals respond to hemorrhaging, a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths.
Gregory said CMQCC also created standard clinic care practices for cardiovascular disease and sepsis, two more drivers of maternal mortality, but widespread implementation across the state is pending.
She noted that although there are 800 maternal deaths a year in the U.S., there are also 3.6 million births.
“Most people will do well,” she said. “But you should know about complications like preterm birth. You should know about complications like diabetes, preeclampsia and postpartum depression.”
Martinez said doulas help to make birthing the transformative experience that it is, instead of a routine clinical transaction.
“Being able to feel heard, seen, safe, respected, and just being able to create spaces for them to be held as well,” she said.
Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.
Featured
Headlines and Hotlines
Niele Anderson and Rodney Perry dive into the headlines demanding attention on the BlackPressUSA Morning Show. Get the context and conversation behind the news you need to know.
BlackPressUSA Morning Show: Host Niele Anderson is joined by Rodney Perry for a closer look at the headlines demanding attention.
Watch BlackPressUSA Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.
#BlackPressUSA #MorningShow #BlackNews #NieleAnderson #RodneyPerry
Featured
Headlines and Hotlines 📱
Join Niele Anderson and Rodney Perry on the BlackPressUSA Morning Show as they dissect today’s hottest headlines and the conversations that matter. Get the context behind the news, right here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1CrzB6lpzs
BlackPressUSA Morning Show: Host Niele Anderson is joined by Rodney Perry for a closer look at the headlines demanding attention.
Watch BlackPressUSA Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.
#BlackPressUSA #MorningShow #BlackNews #NieleAnderson #RodneyPerry
Featured
Headlines and Hotlines
Niele Anderson and Rodney Perry break down today’s hottest headlines on the BlackPressUSA Morning Show. Don’t miss the conversation behind the news!
BlackPressUSA Morning Show: Host Niele Anderson is joined by Rodney Perry for a closer look at the headlines demanding attention.
Watch BlackPressUSA Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.
#BlackPressUSA #MorningShow #BlackNews #NieleAnderson
Featured
Headlines and Hotlines 📱
Join Niele Anderson and Rodney Perry on the BlackPressUSA Morning Show as they break down today’s hottest headlines and the conversations behind them.
BlackPressUSA Morning Show: Host Niele Anderson is joined by Rodney Perry for a closer look at the headlines demanding attention.
Watch BlackPressUSA Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.
#BlackPressUSA #MorningShow #BlackNews #NieleAnderson
Car Buying Advice: DON’T Buy Before Watching This! #shorts
Outback: Snow, Gravel, Rough Roads & Stop-Start Woes #shorts
Voter Education – Homeownership
2027 Kia Seltos SX AWD: 2 Surprises After Test Drive! #shorts
Audi Q3: Malpelo Blue Metallic & Parchment Beige Leather #shorts
Don’t Let Dealers Rip You Off! Escalate and Win! #shorts
Doulas Are Helping Black California Moms Navigate Pregnancy–Even as High Mortality Rates Persist
CX-90 Car Warranty Explained: Powertrain, Roadside Assistance #shorts
Q3 SUV Review: Stunning Blue & Powerful Acceleration! #shorts
Headlines and Hotlines
Arnold Perkins: At 85, a Life of Service, Faith and Giving Back
Young Black Men Suffering in Silence A curse that can be Broken
Young Black Men Suffering in Silence A curse that can be Broken
🎷 Jazz is taking over D.C.!
Women Learned Their Jail Strip Searches Were Recorded. Their Outrage Changed the Law
Black Americans Have Doubts About the U.S. Food System
Latest Massacre in Haiti Reveals Cruelty U.S. Deportations
IN MEMORIAM: Dolly Parton Dead at 80 — How She Built a Legacy of Love and Earned Her Place in Black Culture
When Praises Go Up: SUGC Nominated for Prestigious Stellar Award.
Black August Was Never Meant to End in August
Car Buying Advice: DON’T Buy Before Watching This! #shorts
Outback: Snow, Gravel, Rough Roads & Stop-Start Woes #shorts
Voter Education – Homeownership
2027 Kia Seltos SX AWD: 2 Surprises After Test Drive! #shorts
Audi Q3: Malpelo Blue Metallic & Parchment Beige Leather #shorts
Don’t Let Dealers Rip You Off! Escalate and Win! #shorts
CX-90 Car Warranty Explained: Powertrain, Roadside Assistance #shorts
Q3 SUV Review: Stunning Blue & Powerful Acceleration! #shorts
Headlines and Hotlines
Headlines and Hotlines 📱
-
Black Press1 week agoOP-ED: How Does Your State Rank for Pre-K?
-
Black History2 days agoThe Youngest American Killed in the Vietnam War
-
Black History3 days agoPassing for White, Fighting for Black America: The Courage of Walter White
-
Featured1 week agoHeadlines and Hot Topics 📱
-
Black Press3 days agoMayor Lee Announces $1 Million Kaiser Permanente Grant for Pilot Program to Address Homelessness, Clean Up Public Spaces throughout Oakland
-
Sports5 days agoNFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury
