The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1938-10-28

with his oratory and writing in
moulding public opinion against
slavery-and who rose 10 become
an internationally revered states
man and a public officials, repres-
entlng this very country where he
had been held in bondage. Booker
l. Washington recognized the value
Of the Negro press and at one time
owned a considerable interest in an
important newspaper published in
New York.
Today our papers are more near
~ carriers of news. They still voice
the protests Of the group and lead
the van IN fighting for civil rights.
but they serve to paint complete
picture of racial progress as well.
What are these vital factors in
life, of which Negroes must be
made aware and which would be
lost sight of were it not for the
Negro newspaper
FIRST, there is the church; sepa-
rate organizations and curches are
the rule in America. knowledge
regarding the far-fung activities Of
the Negro church, touching as it
does, every section of the country
and reaching even into Africa, can
be obtained only through these
special newspapers.
Second, Negro business; IN partic-
uiar fields, we have ventured into
commerce. In insurance, for ex-
ample, there are some 80 accredited
companies, owned, controlled, offic-
cred and stated BY our racial group.
These companies employ 5000
people, have insurance in force a.
mounting to s5o0,00o,000 and as
sets equalling 20 million dollars.
There are 24.701 retail businesses
owned and operated by this group
and scattered throughout the north
and south, whose sales for the year
! aggregated SI01,146,043.
The publicity, encouragement and
support which makes these enter
prises possible, the education OF
their clientele, so that enough racial
interest will be ,engendered To en-
courage the development of such
institutions, comes principally from
the Negro newspaper.
Third is the field Of labor. The
greater proportion Of Negro work
ers are laborers Faced by barriers
erected by organized labor, banned
from many unions on the basis of
color, the Negro faces the insupe1-
able task Of trying to earn living
in world where unemployment is
rife and all but the most meagrc
| and menial opportunities closed te
| him.
He turns to his newspapers in al
attempt to find information upor
these questions which face him. The
most effective method through which
the Negro public is enabled to know
Of instances of gross discrimination
against the race or of violations d
constitutional rights which occur II
various sections of the country, bu
which affect the group as a whole
] is through its newspapers. Withou
these organs Of information ane
were it not for the united action OF
the part of organizations and indi
viduals which they make it possible
to marshall, the rights Of hlacl
Americans, so often tramplcd upon
would have very limited protection
/ Politically, the Negro for decade
since his emancipation has beer
| bonded to one party. The tradition
of Abraham Lincoln and the drea,
! spectre Of southern domination o
the opposition political organiza
ton were sufficient to keep him i
that political groove.
But change has come about
The detection which during recen
years has caused Negro voters b
the hundreds of thousands to chang
their political leanings was led b
| Negro newspapers. 1t is upon ther
that he must depend for an evalus
tion of whatever benefits the shit
has brought 1t is his publication
which must analyze the dangers IL
herent in the relief program upo
which SO many Of the race are con
PEELED to depend. 1t is these mt
diums which must point out TIL
wide variety of determinations an
inequalities which exist in STANDARD
and quality of relief and federal al
as dispensed in various sections.
Are events shaping themselves s
that the 100000 persons who
t experts say will always be unen
' ployed in this country are apt
f be chiefly black Americans? Whel
! does security lie for the Negro
How can he help emancipate til
: millions of his brothers down belo
E the sun as well as the millions I