The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1932-03-17
We Are Thinking Harder And Staighter

Are the colored people of Ameri-
ca really doing any hard thinking
now and if so what are they think
ing about? Perhaps it would be
interesting for a social service in
vestigator to tabulate some findings
upon this subject. From scattered
meager and diversified sources we
are led to believe that our people
are thinking harder than they ever
did before and by force of circum-
stances they are thinking straighter.
We have been able to learn that
people are thinking now who never
thought before and those who always
thought are now thinking more.
They are compelled to think, to pom
der, to figure and to calculate. They
are thinking of the pressing prob
lens of life and of the vital issues
of existence. They are searching
and analysing the entire fabric of
their isolated social order and this
enforced mental activity is bound
to be of inestimable value to the
group.
Gone is that happy, go-lucky nom
chalance and gone is that rollicking
reckless abandon. 1t seems that
child race is rapidly becoming of age.
Having been stripped to the bone,
facing the hard, cold facts of life,
we are changed people. 1t is
quite apparent that the colored peo-
pie have become bargain hunters al
most over night. They have adop-
ted the habit of comparing values
and prices and are now spending
their dollars where those dollars will
bring the most. This is certainly
new departure for heretofore it was
well known that we bought the things
that appealed to our fancies without
regard to price or value. We are
now thinking of the value of dollars.
We are now thinking of the respon-
sibilities attendant with holding job.
There was time when we considered
a Job as a plaything. We always
lit that we could step out of one
iob into another. Those days are
gone and we are now concentrating
in body, soul and mind on how to
hold our positions. The "blue Mon
days" when we used to clay off,
upon the slightest within or caprice
have gone. That surliness and in
difference that characterized lot
of our activity while on the job has
disappeared and we are now polite,
energetic, punctual and polite. We
are thinking about the value of our
Jobs and we are thinking of the con-
duct and attitudes that will result in
our holding them.
We are thinking more of our OPP
portunities than ever before. Hun
dreds and thousands of us are re-
eliminating over the opportunities
for advancement that We have ig-
nored and spurned. We are think.
ing of the necessity of improving
ourselves in order to keep apaee with
stiffening competition. This new
thinking is evident in barbershops
lodge meetings, churches and al
kinds of assembling places. The
roaring, orators of yesterday do moi
make the impression as of yore anc
the plain matter of fact speaker
who brings information and food fol
thought is the one who now wins ia
vor. Recently plain-matter-of-fac
speaker brought down his audienc,
and remarks to the effect that cha
man said something worthwhile wer'
heard all over the meeting place whel
the speaker had finished.
The people are approaching thei
religion now with more understand
ing and intelligent curiosity thai
] 4 I.
dogmas and dietums that they use
to rise in ecstacies over. The peopl
are becoming inquisitive to know tn
truth and the religious leaders ar
presenting argument in keeping wit
this inquisitiveness rather than salv
ing over questions and queries wit
stereotyped fundamentalisms.