Sengstacke was well known for his famous portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and other prominent civil rights leaders.

[3][4][5] 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 then went to school in Los Angeles, California, and began photographing Black sororities and fraternities.

Sengstacke went on to work for the Muhammad Speaks publications, Chicago's Mayor Richard J. Daley, and as the cast photographer for Oscar Brown Jr. Productions.

Abbott's nephew, John, was Sengstacke's father, and was the previous owner before his passing in the late nineties.

His photography that was featured in the Defender, like portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is critically acclaimed nationally and internationally.

He also collaborated with other Black artists on the Wall of Respect, contributing to the religion section of the mural and documenting its creation through his photographs.

His portfolios have appeared in many publications, including Ebony, Jet, Essence, Life, and the Washington Post.

The Wall of Respect was the highlight of this exhibit because it revealed portraits of famous African American Public Figures.

His works has also been exhibited at the Statue of Liberty, Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

His father John H.H Sengstacke was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for forming the African American Newspaper organization.