Claude Albert Barnett, entrepreneur and founder of the Associated Negro Press, was born in Sanford, Florida on September 6, 1889. Barnett was parents were named William Barnett and Celena Anderson. At nine months, he was brought to Mattoon, Illinois to live with his maternal grandmother. Barnett grew up in Illinois, attending schools in Oak Park and Chicago. In 1904, he entered Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In 1906, Barnett received a diploma and was granted Tuskegee Institute’s highest award. Following graduation, Barnett returned to Chicago and became a postal worker. Through his new employment, he read numerous magazines and newspapers. Fascinated by the advertisements, Barnett began reproducing photographs of notable Black luminaries in 1913, which he sold through advertising in African American newspapers. By 1917, Barnett had transformed this endeavor into a thriving mail-order enterprise. After this initial success, Barnett and several partners started the Kashmir Chemical Company, a cosmetics business where he served as advertising manager. Shortly thereafter he resigned from his post office position and traveled the country, promoting both his photographs and beauty products to mostly Black customers. As he placed his ads in various Black newspapers across the country he noticed a common trend, these newspapers were in … Continue reading Claude Albert Barnett (1889-1967)