Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1919-07-05
sEATTLE's COLORED COLONY


Forcing colored folks to colonze in cities
is we'll deeloped plan of real estate men
in large cities, which, from our viewpoint,
is absolutely wrong, and yet such has it's
advocates among highly educated colored
men and women. cit depreciates the
rounding property for a colored family to
live therein it is argued, and trust has
been formed by the real estate associations
to not sell to colored applicants in exclu-
sive white communities. In the mind of the
white snob the property in the neighbor-
hood where lives a coored family may not
be so desirable as it would be if such family
did not live there. but it is fact that the
home of colored family living in such an
exclusive neighborhood is, for the most part,
more attractive and better kept than his
neighbOr's, and the depOrtment of the mem
bers of such cOlOred families is equally as
GOOD as that of his neighbours, it therefore
follows that to transplant the colored folks
from settlements to all parts Of the city
makes of them better citizens. The millen-
ium dawn may not be on us at present. but
fight as much as the white snob will or may
the age Of worldwide democracy if not actu-
ally on us, is rapidly coming. Families must
be judged in future from what they actually
are instead of from what class they come
America is the cosmopolitan land of the
world and here must the Jew and the Gen
tile. tho white and the black, the red and
the yellow all live side by each in perfect
peace and harmony so long as the one does
not encroach upon the rights of the other
The age fthe millionaire snob is hapidly
drawing to a close in this United States of
America and the sooner those fellows bow
to the inevitable the better for all con-
cerned However, colored colonies in large
cities. as said above. have their advocates
even among intelligent coored citizens.
''It brings us closer together and gives
us greater opportunities to combat the pre-
judices of the white so common to this
country argue some. "We stand better
chance to get representation in the political
affairs OF the state, county and cities by liv-
ing IN communities argue Others "We
are not always being interfered with by our
nelghbors and our neighbors' children and
our families are saved from annovances
from time to time,' argue Others Thus it
will be seen the colony idea has it's advo-
Gates
In spite of the fact that there has
been no determined disposition on the part
OF the white citizens of Seattle to force
colored colony herein, yet like Topsy, one
has lest growed up" and is now well
established. In and about Madison street
and Twenty-fourth avenue, for six blocks
in all directions majority of the property
owners are colored folks and be it said to
their everlasting credit, more orderly dis
trlct does not exist in the entire city than
this. Not only is it orderly, but it is as
inviting section Of the city to drive
through as any other. The homes are well
kept, the lawns are as green, the automo-
blles stand in front Of their doors as
numerous and the music from their homes
as sweet as any other district in the whole
city. In view Of the fact the home surround
lngs OF colored folks in other cities of this
country have been severely criticized, it is
pleasure to take the most critical white per-
son through this particular colored COLONY
of Seattle