The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-07-12

Or. Dubois tays in the July Crisis;
This Is program Of reconstruction
within the Negro race In America,
after the revolution Of world war In
Education we must take up the prob
lem Of the colored child In the white
school. AT present the tendency is
TO accept and even demand separate
schools because our children so often
are neglected, mistreated and humil-
lated in the public schools. This is
a dangerous and inadvisable alterna-
tive and wicked surrender Of prin-
ciple for which our descendants will
pay dearly. Our policy should be to
T, form IN connection with each school
AMI district effective Parents Associ-
al Ions, composed of the fathers, moth
ers and friends Of colored pupils;
these associations should establish
friendly relations with teachers and
school authorities urge parents to
wash and dress their children proper
| ly, help look after truancy and power
ty, arrange for home work and tuition
for the backward, curb delinquency
and be In fine, vigilance committee
to keep the public school open to all
In Religion we must, in the larger
cities, stop building and purchasing
new church edifices and begin to In
vest the money of the church in
homes, land and business, and philan-
thropic enterprises for the benefit OF
the people. Individual home owner
ship In most large cities is today diff
flcult; but group Of people who can
buy and pay for hundred thousand
dollar church can purchase a hundred
thousand dollar apartment house and
run It. II is a simple business propo.
sition and requires only elementary
honesty and ordinary executive abili-
ty. Churches can easily begin coop
erative buying of coal, bread and,
meat, using their own premises for
distribution churches in the country
and small towns can buy farms and
rent or run them; the church can
purchase automobile trucks and help
the Negro farmer market his produce
independent of the railroads and
thieving commission merchants; even
simple manufacturing, sewing and
building are not beyond the reason
able activities Of church bodies. In
deed. unless the church extends its
economic functions beyond the sim
pie program OF building bigger and
finer ed.flces--unless 1t organizes the
Negro laborer so that his entire wage
will not go In rent and supporting
stOrekeepers who despise and cheat
him-unless Il thus helps the laborer,
IL Will lose the laborer. The hope of
the Negro church is character-build-
ing through economic cooperation.
In Business the Negro must branch
out into certain new lines where he
has long and foolishly hesitated: We
must open dry goods and haberdash-
cry shops, meat markets and cloth
ing stores, shoe stores and hat stores.
We must gradually but perslstently
get into manufacturing. The deft
fingers of our young people are as
easily adapted to machinery as the
fingers OF whites. We are denied OPP
portunity by white trade unions and
by lack of pioneering courage among
colored capitalists, and business men.
Let us wake up. The era of manu-
features In the United States is Just |
begun. The expansion of domestic and !
foreign trade is going to be enormous.
We raise the cotton-why not spin |
and weave 1t? We dig the iron-why |
not weld IL? We mine the coal
why not turn 1t to steam and power?
Do we lack brains and capital? No,
we lack experience and courage. Get
them.
In Politics the colored woman is
going to vote, This is our chance.
Away with the old regime, the pot
house politician and white bribery. |
Let us form clubs and study govern |
ment In city, county, state and nation
Let us know the law and the officials !
and their duties. Let us keep CON
tinuaI and rigid tabs on every candi-
date Away with parties--what we |
want is men. Away with promises
what we want is deeds. Study, learn,
register and vote. Vote at every cleo
ton and see that every friend of |
yours votes Pay your poll taxes and
register. Do not vote for a party
Never vote a straight ticket. Vote I
for men and measurement for par
ties. But above all. voteI Let every |
Negro man and woman, always and !
everywhere, vote.