As a veteran activist and as Chairman of National Black Wall Street Chicago I am pleased to offer my personal and organizational congratulations to REAL TIMES MEDIA and The Chicago Defender Newspaper on making history again with the appointment of Sister Kai El' Zabar as the first female executive editor.  It was just a few months ago at our monthly Black economic power luncheon that National Black Wall Street Chicago saluted another sister Cheryl Mainor on her historic appointment as the first female Publisher of The Chicago Defender.  In the same spirit and example that we helped introduce Mainor to a new group of Black grassroots organizational newsmakers at our luncheon, we will indeed extend an invitation to have Sister Kai El' Zabar be a future guest so that we too can help introduce her to a new group of Black grassroots business leaders, advocates, and community newsmakers who need to be lifting up this new leadership at The Chicago Defender and their commitment to news to educate and empower the Black community.   Through my over 40 years in public service on local, state, and national levels, a large part of my credibility came from the coverage given to me over the years from The Chicago Defender because of their commitment to lifting up grassroots newsmakers, so again we congratulate Cheryl Mainor, Kai El' Zabar and The Chicago Defender and this new historic female leadership and their renewed commit to newsmakers at the grassroots level.

(Mark S. Allen)

 
(October 22, 2014) The Chicago Defender has announced the appointment of noted journalist and editor, Kai El' Zabar, to the position of Executive Editor of the weekly newspaper. She become the first woman in the paper's long and storied history to hold the top editorial position.
 
Cheryl Mainor, who became the Chicago Defender's first woman publisher in June, said, "This is an exciting time as we move towards our 110th anniversary. With Kai in position providing editorial direction for our print product and guiding the evolution of our digital platform, we are poised to maximize our capabilities and continue as a leader in the development of cutting-edge content relevant to the African American community."
  
El' Zabar, while a native of Cinncinati, Ohio, is no stranger to the city or the Chicago Defender, having previously worked at the newspaper as staff writer in the late seventies. Prior to this appointment, El' Zabar has been editor, managing editor and contributor for numerous local publications. Under her editorial leadership at N'DIGO Magapaper from1993 to 1997, that paper grew from a monthly, to a biweekly, and then to a weekly schedule. She's also held positions at Minorities in Business, LifeLines, The Journal of African American Health and www.tavistalks.com.
  
Speaking about her new role, El' Zabar says, "I am honored to become the editorial visionary for the Chicago Defender as it continues to grow and transform. We are on the verge of taking back our rightful place as the voice of the black community in Chicago and invite you to join us in making new history."
  
The Chicago Defender is a part of Real Times Media, a Detroit-based media and marketing company. Founded in 1905, the Defender will celebrate its 110th anniversary in May of 2015.