Editing Chester Commodore (section)

== Early life ==
Born in [[Racine, Wisconsin|Racine]], Wisconsin, Commodore was a descendant of [[Peter D. Thomas]], a former slave and the first African-American elected official in [[Wisconsin]]. His parents and sisters moved to [[Chicago]] in 1923, but Chester and his older brother stayed in Racine with his maternal grandmother in her boarding house until he moved to Chicago in 1927.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |entry=Commodore, Chester, Sr. |first=Lorin |last=Nails-Smoote |title=Commodore, Chester, Sr |encyclopedia=African American Studies Center |year=2013 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.38543 |isbn=9780195301731}}</ref> Commodore developed an interest in comics and art at an early age, and was encouraged by his uncle John Prophet. While living with his grandmother, he had the opportunity to meet prominent African-American musicians and entertainers who were turned away from white-owned hotels and restaurants in the [[Chicago metropolitan area|Chicago]] and [[Milwaukee metropolitan area|Milwaukee]] area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aaregistry.org/story/chester-commodore-a-creative-cartoonist/|title=Chester Commodore, a creative cartoonist|website=African American Registry|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}</ref>