Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-11-08
NEGROES ARE MAKING
PROGRESS IN j. S. A.
preston News service)

Negroes in the United States are
making excellent progress along all
right lines and deserve the common
dasion of their white friends and
| fellow citizens for advancing, as a
race. The National Negro Business
| League, with headquarters in Chi
cago, has more or less recently COM
| piled some figures which are inter-
es,ing. They show that throughout
this country the Negroes are advanc-
ing in education, in business and
the professions. 1t shows that they
have become inculcated with the
desire to learn and 10 exceI in var
ious lines of industry and endeavor,
and they are steadily adding to their
General knowledge and desire for
efficiency.
1t was shown in the statistical
information given ou1 that along
economic lines the Negroes of the
country have acquired 100000
homes, which is understood to be an
increase of 100000 in the last rs
wears. They are said to operate a
million farms, which is nearly 20
per cent. increase in the period men
toned and conduct business enter
prises to the number of $4,000, a
gain of 5000. The aggregate wealth
of me Negroes of the country Is
placed at S1,7OO,000,00O This latter
figure is indicative of an increase of
more than billion in the last
quarter of century.
It is claimed in tIIe Chicago re-
ports that 80 per cent. of the Ne
groes in the United States can read
and write, and this is remarkable
stride forward "a per cent. adj
vance in the time considered. There
are 100000 Negro children in the
public schools-and this fact should
be emphasized for the benefits of those
who pretend to think that the Negro
is not we'll treated or given fair
chance in the South.
The schools Of the South where
the majority of Negroes dwell, are
very largely maintained at the ex-
pense of the white people. To give
an ndea of she proportion of the
burden borne by the Negroes them
selves, it is stated, in the same re-
port chat Negroes raised for the
education of their race about $4,000
900 in 1924-which was double the
amount raised by them in 1907
The total amount expended for their
education is given as $32,0OO,OO0,
with school property for higher ed
ueation, valued at $4,000, 600.
Marked religious progress has
been noted by the compilers of the
report for the Negro Business
League. 1t is shown thai they have
$4,000 churches with 4,S00l000 mem
bers and 2,25O,O5O pupils in the
Sunday Schools. Church property is
valued at $9O,0O0,000, which is an
increase of SO per cent. for the
period. In the professions, the Ne
groes now claim a great increase,
with more than 1000 Negro actors,
so architects, 259 artists, sculptors
and teachers of art, 915 authors,
1851 ministers of the gospel, 207
chemists, 1888 college presidents and
professors, LOO dentists, GAG law.
yers, 1852 musicians and teachers
of music, 5O7 photographers, 3,430
physicians and surgeons, 1874 techni'
lcal engineers, 3,341 trained nurses,
of whom 3,199 are women, 1892
BARRIERS, hairdressers and manicure
lists.
1t is important to find tha5 pro-
gress of the Negro is not confined
to any section of the country, but
is generally distributed. In the
North and East they are showing
more interest in some departments
of industry than other things and in
the South they are adding 10 the
sist of farmers. Everywhere they are
coming 30 appreciate the value of
education and are going forward
along desirable lines. The South is
pleased to find the Negro advancing
towards good citizenship, and will as
always continue to give him fair and
oven generous treatment.