Congressman Harold Washington campaigned in the 1983 Democratic primary to become Chicago’s first African-American mayor against two white opponents. The Chicago Defender hesitated to endorse him despite its history as a leader of the black press. Unlike some of its competitors in the black media, the Defender was slow to recognize that a progressive African American movement was gaining political momentum. The Washington campaign cared deeply about the Defender’s endorsement because it relied heavily on the city’s black media to strengthen its grassroots efforts in African-American neighborhoods. The Defender finally endorsed Washington only after his campaign put intense public and behind-the-scenes pressure on owner John Sengstacke and it became clear that Washington could actually win the primary.

中文翻译：

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分裂的忠诚：芝加哥后卫和哈罗德华盛顿竞选芝加哥市长

国会议员哈罗德华盛顿在 1983 年民主党初选中竞选成为芝加哥第一位非裔美国市长，反对两名白人对手。尽管芝加哥后卫曾是黑人媒体的领导者，但他仍然犹豫要不要支持他。与黑人媒体中的一些竞争对手不同，捍卫者缓慢地认识到进步的非裔美国人运动正在获得政治动力。华盛顿竞选团队非常关心捍卫者的支持，因为它严重依赖该市的黑人媒体来加强其在非裔美国人社区的基层工作。只有在他的竞选活动向老板约翰·森斯塔克 (John Sengstacke) 施加强烈的公众和幕后压力之后，这位后卫才最终支持华盛顿，而且很明显华盛顿实际上可以赢得初选。