The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1912-11-30

oured ~ CnyS Shiet GxocutiNo "
His Cordial Cooperation In Plans
Fer Holding Fiftieth Anniversary
Celebration In Philadelphia In 1918.
BY WHITTIER II. WRIGHT.
Philadelphia. - Mayor Blankenburg
was recently visited by delegation Of
colored men who requested him to take
q special interest in the celebration Of
the fftieth anniversary Of the freedom
Of the colored people. with view to
having the exposition held In this city
next year. The mayor heard the dele
cation very interestedly and promised
to cooperate with the coiored citizens
In making the exposition success.
Among those In the delegation were
Bishop Benjamin T. Tanner. Bishop
Levi J. Coppin, Bishop Evans Tyree
Of the African Methodist Episcopal
church. Bishop ]. s. Caldwell and Bish-
op G. L. Blackwell of the A. M. Il.
Zion church. Hon. Harry w. Bass,
member OF the Pennsylvania legisla-
ture; Hon. Richard A. Cooper. member
Of council: Richard r. Wright. Jr.. edi-
tor Of the Christian Recorder: Walter
p. Hall. leading c0lored merchant. and
others.
The principal speech was made by
r. Il. Wright. IT.. Ph. D.. author Of
the History Of the Negro In Pennsyl-
vania." who IL the director Of exhibits
Of the proposed exposition. DR.. Wright
said that ian. I. 1913. will mark the
HftIeth anniversary Of the famous
emancipat ton proclamation issued by
Abraha Lincoln for the freedom Of
the slaves. The cOlored population Of
Pennsylvania will celebrate this jubilee
year with an exposition showing the
progress Of the race during the fifty
years Of its freedom.
There has been remarkable progress
Of the Negro from a physical point Of
view. showing his ability to survive.
According to the United States census
Of 1850. there were 4.441.S30 Negroes
In the country. Fifty years later. in
1910 the census gave the number Of
Negroes as $685. 94. an increase Of
over 100 per cent. Fifty years ago they
were located chiefly In the south. To-
day they are scattered over all the
states.
Fifty years ago these people were
largely illiterate. Not more than ten
In q hundred could at that time read
and write. their illiteracy being esti-
mated in 1860 at 90 per cent. Slowly
this has been cut down until in 1910
Il was reported by the census at 30.5
per cent The remarkable progress Of
the Negro in cutting down illiteracy is
realized by comparison with foreign
countries. According to the latest re-
port Of the bureau of education. the H.
hteracy of Austria was 26.2 per cent.
Of Hungary 20 per cent. Of Italy 40
per cent. OF Spain 4S.7 per cent and
Of Russia 70 per cent.
This progress In education has been
made chiefly by the growth Of the
public school system. Fifty years ago
practically no Negroes attended public
schools. There are today more than
2.OOOOOO colored children In the pub
lie schools Of the country. and these
are taught by some 25.O00 colored
teachers. who have developed within
the last fifty years. The colored people
have developed during these years
about $50 private institutions. manned
and controlled by colored people.
They have contributed during these
flfty years to these schools something
over $5O.OOO.O 900. besides the amount
which they have contributed In taxes.
The best information available gives
the part Of taxes contributed to edu-
cation by Negroes In the south as
something like $55OOO.OOO. Fifty years
ago there were hardly q dozen Negro
college graduates. During these 6fty
years more than 5000 Negro young
men and women have graduated from
colleges and have won honors in Har-
ward. Yale. Columbia. Pennsylvania.
Oberlin and other well known Ameri-
can universities.
In 1000 there were 1880 manufactur-
era. SO bankers and brokers. 9.O8S re-
tail merchants. 40 Wholesale mer-
chants. 1877 commercial travellers. ATS
bookkeepers and accountants and 40
officials In hanks. Negroes maintain
loyal business leagues all over the
country and have organized National
Negro Business league. National Press
association. National Bankers associa-
ton. National Funeral Directors asso-
citation. etc.
Fifty years ago Negroes In the pro-
feSsions were practically unknown and
unthought of. There are todny 1900
Negroes In professions. representing
physicians. lawyers. teachers. profess
sors In colleges. journalists. engineers,
literary people. artists and others.
There has also developed in these
nfty years the home owning Negro.
II was my privilege to study for the
state department Of Pennsylvania
home owning in that state. and. to my
surprise and to the surprise Of the
head Of the bureau OF Industrial sta
tistics. without covering half the state
we received the names of nearly 1000