Omaha monitor., 1929-01-11
NEGRO ADVANCES IN
BUSINESS AND FINANCE
CONQUER NEW FIELDS IN 1929

+ y NJ 49, ~@O>~taNoSeN - NS5 " L Z Ooa'f
Slowly but surely, Negro busjaess
is learnin gto stand on it's owK feet.
For years it has been creeping along
on all fours with its eyes uplifted to-
wards the sky and it's hands cropping
hesitantly about in search of an up
right object upon which to rest its
weight and lift itself to its feet. As
the support for which it sought has
materialized in the development of a
small group of business leaders with
vision and courage, Negro business
has raised itself upward and today
stands tottering upon its own feet
ready to take its first steps forward.
Dark days will come for some Of
the institutions manned entirely by
members of the race and dark days
will vanish before the consatnt adj
rance of an able, honest Negro lead
ership, but the bulk of our CONNER
cial enterprises will prosper with in
creasing regularity as the years roll
on. Business is business, and the Ne
gro owned institution must measure
up to the requirements set by the
other institutions of its kind or fail
as surely as it begins. But opportu-
nifty, adversely and ambition has bred
for the group small army of trained
business leaders to whom all Negro
business may look for support, guild
ance, and consistent development.
They in turn are imparting their
knowledge to younger men and wo-
men who will take the reigns when
they have passed on and guide Negro
business forward till it shall walk up
right with all the vigor and conf
dence demanded by the competition
of modern times.
And so, while we look forward to
the new year and plan for the future
of our commercial institutions and
our race, let us take brief look at
the men and women who are leaders
in our economic life--those who have
brought Negro business thus far
and learn the secret of their rise to
power and affluence. Let us look to
Abbott, Murphy, Vann, and Mitchell,
the successful publishers; let us look
to Binga, Wright and Hawkins, the
bankers; to Overton, Walker and Ma
lone, the manufacturers; to Terry
and De Priest, the real estate brok-
ers: to Rutherford, Spaulding and
Herndon, the insurance executives;
to Windham, Hadnott and Alexander,
the contractors; to Gibson, Foster
and Turpin in the amusement world.
All began their lives in poverty ana
each has developed into strong, VI
gorous leader in his respective field
through continued perseverance ana
the practice of thrift and economy.
They could not have achieved other
wise. Shall not our young men and
women of today do likewise II they
exnect success and wealth to reward
their endeavors? Certainly they
must, and every Negro father and
mother should encourage their chill
dren to acquire these qualities OF sue
cess. That achievement is builded on
industry, perseverance and thrlIt
should be the doctrine taught by
every Negro in business and the Tor
mula laid down by every newspaper
and school.
But the young man who reads the
above lines may note an absence OF
the names of successful men engaged
in retail trade. Where, they may ask
are our successful Negro merchants
We have a few but only continued
encouragement will give us more
! Already we can count two or three
department stores, a single chain OF
grocery stores, chain of shoe stores
and a number of individual successes
in various lines. But the number Of
truly outstanding successes is not IN
spring.
The most casual analysis of oul
commercial successes indicated that
Negroes flock to those fields where
some one individual has made an un
usual or spectaculra achievement
We find this to be true in nearly
every field. AS result many ave
nues of trade are overcrowded while
ones with equal or greater opportu
nifty have few or no recruits. Bu
that duplication of successful effor
has its decided advantage to th'
group can be seen by the growth o
progressive enterprises launched b,
men and developed in other cite
than the one where success is frs
achieved. Insurance companies, loal