The colored American., 1903-08-01

IlonS or business men held this year
is one TO convene at Nashville, Tenn,
the 18th of next month. 1t is the an
nual meeting of the National Negro
Business Mems League, composed of
colOred business men throughout the
United States. The fact that Booker
L. Washington is the president of the
league is in itself sufficient to attract
a widespread interest in its purposes
and workings.
1t is announced that the coming con
Vention promises to be the largest and
most important the league has held in
the few years of its existence thus far
An unusually large percentage of its
more than 800 members is expected to
be present, and important questions re-
gardlng the commercial standing of
the colored race, as well as other sub
Jects relating to the condition of the
race and the means of its improve
ment, will be under discussion.
The most significant fact in connec-
uon with the league is the channel it
affords through which the public at
large may become acquainted with
what the colOred man in this country
is doing in a commercial way No
doubt few persons realize what a large
amount of capital is invested and man
aged by cOlOred men alone already.
nor do they realize how rapidly this
is increasing from year to year The
500 and more cOlOred men who COM
pose the membership of the league
represent, themselves alone, over 81
100000 of capital invested in indus
trial enterprises. In other words the
American Negro is to-day the proprie-
tor and manager of manufacturing
and business enterprises to the amount
of nearly three millions of dollars.
The reports made at the last conven-
ION h =, L II n
year ago, showed that at that time
there was $2273, $50 invested in Negro
business enterprises, owned and car
r1ed on by S18 cOlOred men and Wom-
en-, and representing fifty-four differ
ent kinds of business. 1t is asserted
that the reports this year will show
this sum to have increased to nearly
$3,OOO,OOO, and the number of persons
engaged in business for themselves to
have grown in proportion.
When it is considered that these fig
ures do not include those colored peo-
pie who are engaged in farming for
themselves, nor those engaged in the
various professions, and that were
they so included the total sum of in
vested capital would doubtless be more
than doubled, some idea may be gained
OF the increasingly important position
the colOred man is coming to occupy in
the commercial and professional
world
No better evidence, possibly, could
be produced than this to demonstrate
the rapid progress which the American
Negro is making Notwithstanding his
limited preparation for these pursuits
when they became available to him not
more than a generation ago, and not
withstanding the limited opportuni-
ties he has had since to enjoy them
Fo such persons who become impa-
tient at the slowness of the solution of
the Negro race problem in this coun-
try. such figures as those above given
ought to be Of valuable interest They
encourage the belief that if left alone
and not hurried by violent menas the
Negro question ultimately will solve
itself. This is not to say that the ques-
tiOn needs no judicious and well-direct-
ed assistance by the people at large
but it does indicate most clearly that
with proper encouragement there is
reason to believe that the American
Negro Will work out mis- own destiny,
and that. too, successfully.
1t is not uninteresting to observe
that the State of Tennessee has ten
dered the coming convention the use
OF the legislative halls for ifs sessions