Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1907-06-07
Achievements OF
AMERICAN NEGROES
FIELD SECRETARY DELIVERS m
TEREsTiNo ADDRESS.
RACE IS MAKING PROGRESS
AsouT 100000 AMERICAN NE
oRoEs ARE FARMERS.
Prejudice and Opposition Are Bringing
Black Men Together In Various
Enterprises.


the National Baptist convention. delivered
an address at Corinthian Baptist church,
on the achievements OF the American,
Negro" DIR. Beckham is fluent speak
err He has been successful in life and
loaned the first money which made possi- :
bio the existence of the Negro Baptist
Publishing House. which. after an exist
ence Of ten years, Is doing $4,000 worth
Of business year. not only printing Sun
day school supplies. but hymn books,
Bibles. books by authors, and Is now
making organs and church furniture.
DIR. Beckham Is very enthusiastic over
the progress of his race He said In part:
For more than decade the negro ques
ton seems to have given this country a
point Of view. l believe II he Is looked at
from an unbiased standpoint, his past and
present achievements, and his loyalty to
this country viii make one form better
ions are formed largely from the reading
of our southern papers, which seem to
delight In presenting the worst side OF
the negro to the general public. We ac-
knowledge they have many faults. but as
well as their defects, they have their good,
traits. great number Of the schools In,
the south and the money to operate them
are largely paid by the southern white
man. And II forty years of schooling has
mot done much to elevate him then the,
white man Is q failure as teacher. But
the fact in the case is the progress Of the
race in the last forty years Is phen0me-'
nal. as the figures lately shown by per-,
sonal investigation. such as have been
tempt to give all the figures, but just a.
very few to indicate some phases Of his
achievements.
Many Are Farmers.
About one million negroes are farmers,
more than 10000 of them own their own
farms (paid for.) Their farms range from
so to 1000 acres of land. There are more
than 1000 who own their own homes in
the cities. In North Carolina we have silk
we have sugar mills and rice mills that
are doing the same work as those Of the
white people. In Florida we have q street
car company. We also have four negro
publishing houses: namely, the A. NJ E.
Sunday School Union, Nashville, Tenn;
the c. NJ. E. Publishing House, Jackson.
Tenn; the A. M. e. Zion Publishing
House, Charlotte, N. c.; the National
Baptist Publishing House, Nashville,
Tenn. In each Of these buildings we use
kind Of work common to publishers. The
last named house Is one of the
largest Of Its kind in the south, and
the largest among negroes In the world.
Figures show that they did more than
twice as much actual business last year
as all three Of the first named houses put
together.
There Is no class OF printing binding
and engraving done by any publishers In
the country that is not done by this
house And in this building alone. saying
| nothing Of the other three, more than go
hands are employed daily.
The negros Of the country pay taxes
on more than q billion dollars worth Of
property. We take pleasure in stating
he has paid more than twenty million
dollars for his own education. This in
cludes only tuition, books and board. for
for buildings. grounds and equipment.
They Are Prosperous.
We shall leave of the amount Of money
for church property the number Of
zines and books written, the 500 or more
newspapers. more than 10000 collegiates.
! and turn our attention to the banks owned
banks: these banks are doing a first class
banking business just as all other banks
| are doing In the states where they are
located. In the town Of Mound Bayou
Miss. we have no bank run by white
| I. Washington's school, but We have in
each Of these places first class banks
owned and operated by negros.
There are ten schools Of law and medi-
cine owned BY the negros. In the legal
profession we have three thousand men
who fill their calling in this profession
creditably. We have the same number Of
physicians, dentists. and pharmacists.
that are regarded as the equals Of any
other race in the same profession.
Time would fail me to name the 1000
stores. 100 undertakers, 10000 laundry
hands. 5000 sawmill and planning hands.
1 1900 stone and brick masons. 5000 car.
1 penters. 1900 ilressmakers. tailors and
tailoresses. 1900 iron and steel workers,
11.0oo oystermen. $1,000 school teachers and
tonsorial artists. 5000 skilled laborers and
10000 children In the public schools.
Prejudice and oppression are bringing
the negros together and making them
70 into business and support each other
! In business. And this oppression IL not
stopping the numerical growth Of the
Trace. for six thousand black babies arr
born in this country every year. In
4 spite Of It all we will remain right here,
prove ourselves men, the equals Of any
other any where.