law . ▁He ▁continued ▁at ▁Colorado ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated . ▁He ▁also ▁attended ▁the ▁Bar nes - W or sh am ▁School ▁of ▁Em bal ming ▁and ▁Mort u ary ▁Science . ▁ ▁Career ▁and ▁civ ic ▁life ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁Roberts ▁started ▁editing ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Spr ings ▁Light ▁newspaper . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁Colorado , ▁he ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁deput y ▁ass essor ▁for ▁El ▁Pas o ▁County . ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁Mississippi ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁some ▁years ▁as ▁principal ▁of ▁M ound ▁Bay ou ▁Normal ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁Institute , ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁schools ▁founded ▁for ▁African ▁Americans ▁in ▁the ▁seg reg ated ▁state ▁system . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁Roberts ▁returned ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁where ▁he ▁founded ▁The ▁New ▁Age ▁Dis patch ▁newspaper ▁ ▁( l ater ▁called ▁New ▁Age ), ▁which ▁he ▁edited ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁When ▁he ▁partner ed ▁with ▁his ▁father ▁in ▁the ▁mort u ary ▁business , ▁they ▁named ▁it ▁A . J . ▁Roberts ▁& ▁Son . ▁Event ually ▁he ▁took ▁it ▁over . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁newspaper ▁editor ▁and ▁business ▁owner , ▁Roberts ▁became ▁a ▁prominent ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁growing ▁African - American ▁community ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁people ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁M igration ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁to ▁northern , ▁mid western ▁and ▁western ▁states . ▁He ▁belonged ▁to ▁a ▁Method ist ▁church . ▁He ▁also ▁became ▁a