Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-07-09
FOR THE NEGRO RACE
Z. w. Mitchell Talks Of the Ad-
sancement Of His People.
PREPARING A RACE JOURNAL
To Cousaia Statistical Issbrmssken o.
the coa<1aioa and Psoxre~s az
the Negro N AaaesicA.

wv. Mitchell, one Of the leading Afro
Americans Of ths country IL in the city
gathering nsteriai for the preparation
Of report on the progress OF the negro
race. Mr.. Mitchell Was formerly en-.
gagged in new spaper work. and founded
The Appeal. the famous organ of the
negro race In America. lie 10 a bright.
engaging talker. and an unusually well
informed man. In discussing bis work
yesterday. he said;
Our object fsr engaging in such an
enterprise 10 manifold ia its purposes.
and based on desire To do something
for the material education aud advance
ment Of our race. tilst. NO dear TO
famlliasixe ourselves with the true
condition Of the Afro American
race In every section OF the
country. and give to our readers AZ &C.
curste statistical report Of the progress
Of our race in'every avenue and asoca-
ton of life. Or. in other words. Ne wish
20 paint the negro as he is. and not ~
he II supposed u be. or was. thirty years
ago. We are dcsirous q knowing more
accurately our numerical strength. our
political strength and our facilities for
doing more for the material advance
ment OF our race.
Retain Their Identity.
Secondly. we desire more consistently
10 unite ourselves on certain lines for
our protection and advancement Elk
perience has taught me that the theory
advocated by some Of our eminent lead
ers Of losing our Identity as a race and
slipping up TO high achievement and
honor unobserved by our Anglo Saxon
brother. is false and mistaken one. and
cannot be persued with success only IN
exceptional cases by our people.
But instead OF us ever reaching the
summit as q race. we have TO discard
the idea Of trying 10 lose our identity as
colorcd people. and unite every force
and influence that We have and build
up our lives and go forward as race
respected and honored. We are con
WINGED that il we were in the race fos
life, il must be on our merits az PEG
pie. and that the time has como for q
more practical union OF our forces We
discover our ability by concentrating
our influence. To do much for the ma
terial elevation OF our people. The
greatest influence we have comes from
the dollars We make and have to spend
Hence II can be seen that the success oi
all Of our enterprises depends on the
ability Of their promoters To 20 concen-
trate this influence Ii can be
seen also that the life and prosper.
ity Ut great many race enterprises
depend on the success Of such efforts az
We are putting forth in this particular
EIevasing the Negro Race
Ii is not customary for business men
in general To give employment To col
ored men or women in the higher avoca.
tons Of life. and they viii continue a.
until we can show them from business
standpoint that we have influence SUI
ficient 10 warrant them IN taking an ad-
vanced step and giving recognition T.
colorcd men as clerks. bookkeepers. etc
This We can do through the conccntra
ton OF our influence a. class. Al the
same time We are enabled 10 do much
toward placing In our homes proper
literature. such as will instsl principles
OF honesty, energy. reliability and econ
omy into our readers.
In preparing our general report We
take county 10y county and publish
therein small journal on the progress
az the Afro-Americans ~ each county
with cuts 81 the leading coiored men
cuts If their best church buildings ano
residences This journal is accom-
panied by a directory containing tn,
names and addresses Of all OF the col
ored people in the county. After com
pieting the work in each county in III,
state. these journals and directories al.
compiled into large state journal an,
directory.