Robert A. Sengstacke

Robert Abbott Sengstacke (May 29, 1943 – March 7, 2017), also known as Bobby Sengstacke, was an African-American photojournalist during the Civil Rights Movement for the Chicago Defender in Chicago, Illinois. Sengstacke was well known for his famous portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and other prominent civil rights leaders. Sengstacke inherited the family–owned Sengstacke Newspaper Company. After retiring from journalism in 2015, Sengstacke moved to Hammond, Indiana where he lived until his death due to a respiratory illness in 2017 at age 73. Sengstacke resided for most of his life in Chicago. Sengstacke took over his family business later on in his life.

Personal life and death Sengstacke fathered six children and was married twice. His first marriage was to Veela Gonzalez, with whom he had four children, Saief, Myiti, Omhari, and Hasani. Sengstacke later married Jacquelyn Spencer and together they had two children, Domenic and Jasmine. Sengstacke and Spencer were married at the time of his death. Sengstacke died on March 7, 2017, in Hammond, Indiana. Sengstacke was suffering from an extended respiratory illness.

Awards Robert A. Sengstacke has won many awards. He received the NNPA Award in 1986-1987 for his Michigan Chronicle newspaper. He went on to win the NNPA Award for his New Pittsburgh Courier paper in 1995. He also received the Superior Public Award in 1977. He was also awarded the Cannon 40D award and the Gordon Parks Award for leadership in film making, multimedia making and photojournalism. The Sengstakce paper won the John B. Russman Award. His father John H.H Sengstacke was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for forming the African American Newspaper organization. There also was a Robert S. Abbott Memorial Award made in Sengstacke's granduncle's honor.