The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-10-24
THE NEGRO IN BUSINESS

home on SentZ street
THE NEGRO IN BUSINESS
Hampton Institute, Hampton, N1r-
ginia.-The Negro in business has
been making unusual progress. In
1911. the American Negro, engaged
in farming. merchandising, real es-
tate, manufacturing, numbering,
Insurance, printing and publishing,
engineering and banking, contributed
. over $700,O00.000 to the wealth of
the nation. 1t has ben aptly said
: that the race creates admirably:
it gets left in the Distribution The
problem OF the Negro in business is
this: How to make the raw material
produced by him not the end of his
! >ffcrt, but the basis Of Ills individual
ACTIVITY.
Through persistence, Initiative
and cooperation, thousands of Ne
gro men and women in all parts
Of the United States have developed
small business ventures into sub.
stantial business enterprises. They
have saved and invested money care
fully: they have put into their ev-
eryday business life the wise sugges.
ton given them by DR.. Washington
and other men who are vitality in
terested in the races welfare. Today
the outlook for the Negro in busi-
ness is not only bright but actually
! inspiring: Negro. men and women
are quietly getting firm hold on
the essentials of success in business
the buying OF homes. the extension
Of bushes, the opening Of factories.
the establishment of banks and Tne
better appreciation Of commercial
pursuits.
DR.. Washington has emphasized,
the importance of ten million Ne
Sroes in America becoming the own
ers and users of the 10000, 900
acres Of unused and unoccupied land
in the South and West He de-
clares that if white men can estab-
.lish and operate saw mills, coal
mines, brick yards, lime kilns, and
ether enterprises, he can see no
reason why the Negro should not
engage i'll similar work and reap
some Of the benefits which come to
those who own, develop, manufac-
ture and trade in the natural re.
sources Of the country He de-
clares that in at least twenty-five
places in the SoutS end West Ne
,groes may build towns and cities
similar to Mound Bayou in Missis
siDpi and Boley in Oklahoma. TO
carry on this constructive work Ne
gro men and women from the col
leges and universities are needed
TO increase the business strength
end influence Of Negroes, men must
organize, locally, in the state, in
the nation. BY the side of the
teacher and the minister, there mus,
stand in helpful relation the indie
pendent farmer, the real estate own
er, the manufacturer, the merchant
and the banker
There are places in the South to-
day, according to DR.. :Wasbirlcto,
for 1000 additional Negro dry
goods stores. 5000 grocery stores,
$500 drug stores, 1000 shoe stores,
1,j5O millinery stores and 1000
Negro banks. Development and
activity in all these lines" accord
ing 10 Dr. Washington. does not
mean that we are to be commercials
lied as race--to be merely bread
winners, hewcrS Of wood and, draw.
erS Of water. It means that we
shall be producers Of bread, owners
Of bread, manufacturers, of. bread,
dealers in bread, ond that we shall
gather wealth from the bread BUSH
ness which can be turned into the
highest and best things of life. III We
are TO be owners and users OF wood
in Il way that will bring to us hap
piness, usefulness and prosperity
A few experiences given In brief
est outline will suggest the uphill
'strugglc that the Negro in business
has had. l.. ". Green, Of Fayette,
Miss. tho Largest Negro taxpayer in
! jefferson county, began work at SO
q mouth. At the end Of ten years
he was earning $50 month. He
became an independent farmer. Now
he owns 900 acres Of land, 80 head
Of stock, carries 81 800 worth Of
Insurance on his house, $11 900
worth Of insurance on his life, en-
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