The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-11-05

which may be offered.
Amos m Andy Characters
Represent What?
Amos m Andy is a skit with a cast
of characters, every one of whom
may be found in everyday life. Not
one of the characters uses coarse
vulgarity. No such terms like
"darky," "Nigger," "wenchs" and
"negress,' are heard. Let petition
signers and sponsors of self-respect
campaigns center their attacks on
scores of white news sheets which
use these terms continuously.
Amos Jones"
Amos is thrifty fellow, and ener-
getic. He has tons of commonsense
and really runs the "Taxicab Bus
mess" and the "lunch room" The
only criticism that anybody might
make with some show is that Amos
is not a college graduate with lots
of degrees and book sense, but going
nowhere. Amos saves his money
and can be depended upon to be able
to rake up few dollars at any time.
There are hundreds and hundreds
of his type in every day life-hon-
est and thrifty, and who cannot be
burned for fools. You will find
many characters like Amos in real
Negro life. And more of his type
would not hurt if they displaced the
shrewd and cunning sharks who claim
to be conducting business.
Go into any Negro business CEN
tar- M arta i Al i
characters in real Negro life who
do not measure up to the qualifica-
lions of Amos, who use the worst
language imaginable and whose judy
ment is below zero. They are I'M
reliable and have simply an old get
by policy. If two-thirds of the Ne
groes who run two-by-four business
excuses had as capable owners as
Amos, the race would be better rep
resented. To say that Amos is a
burlesque is to put the cart before
the horse. Critics would run truer
to accuracy if they would admit that
many Negroes business joints run by
incompetent Negroes are burlesuues
on the Fresh Air Taxicab Co."
Mr.. Andrew Brown, President"
Andy is your egotist at white heat.
He thinks he knows everything. He
is just big four flusher and
bluff. All he aims to do is to make
people believe that he is big man
at the head Of big business. He
has enough sense to get into trouble,
but not enough sense to get out and
stay out. He is a big easy mark, a
braggart and a spend-thrift who gets
by because he happens to be associat-
ed with others who serve as his life
preservers.
The Negro race has types like "Mr.
Andrew Brown" by the carloads -
Negroes who try to ape everybody
and everything which looks big =
ignorant Negroes who enter in where
real worthy people would fear to
tread. There are Negroes in bust
ness and in church who will promise
anything when they know they have
no way on earth to keep the prom
se. This runs true from the Negro |
preacher down to the Negro "hot-
dog seller. All this class wants is a
scheme to get by, and they only get |
by because more worthy and misled |
Negroes help them by. Their pictures
are ever in the paper. Thev thrive
IN publicity and spend their time |
md money "dolling up" in ''fronts"
or public praise-hoping to appear
IS prosperous business assets.
Let Negro pulpit and press center
IN these Andys in real life and they
reed not worry about candy" on the
lir.
Madam Queen"
Madam Queen is a business wom-
IN who runs a beauty shop. She is
ealous and belligerent in dispose
ion. With all that she manages to
make a living and has sense enough
o keep strings tied to "Mr. Andrew
Brown" The episodes in which she
las figured are but true reflections
f many Madam Queens in real life.
From viewpoint of business, she
$ only a type of scores who have
entured into a legitimate business
or women. There are many women
7ho conduct the beauty business far
etter than Madam Queen. There
re many who do not operate half
o we'll. There are many who can
ot give a decent "banana cure"
manicure) or any other kind of
ure-who are simply in the way of
heir more competent sisters. There
no field so crowded as is this beau
Y business, unless it be the field of
at shops everywhere you look. We
ave too many Madam Queens with
ne result that scarcely any of them
re doing what they dreamed they
ould do. +
Here is a chance for the preacher
nd the newspaper to dish out some
sal sound advice from time to time.
egroes have to conduct the business
living before they enter the dying
nsiness. Never mind about MA
am Queen" on the air. Try to lift
lese Madam Queens in real life.
TO be continued in The Enter
rise next week.