The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1938-05-14
Writer Tells Reasons Why Negro
Business Should Receive Support


iion with its bigger and better
business campaign.
One Of the prime reasons why
we should support Negro business
IN all its different phases is that
The present and future existence OF
The race depends upon II.
In this age OF keen competition
and economic stress. when nations
and races are struggling 10 sur
vive. II Is imperative that we give
all the support we can 10 Negro
business. This is one OF the objec.
lives Of the Phi Beta Sigma Frater-
nity's national program.
No race can hope to command
THE respect Of other races. who
fails 10 build a solid economic
foundation of It's own. Education
economies and finance are the foun-
, d1tions upon which all great ma
/ tions or races are constructed.
Any race OF people that allows
itself 70 be continually exploited
hy other races. and does not take
stock OF its own financial poten-
Utilities. must expect 20 be always
~ the mercy OF others Such a race
Is doomed.
The immortal Thomas Jefferson
wrote into the Declaration Of In
dependence that we hold these
truths TO be self-evident- that all
men are created equal. with certain
inalienabl rights. that among these
nre life liberty and pursuit OF hap
pIness"
The founders OF the Phi Beta
Sigma Fraternity foresee the day
when Negro youth leaving college
will have brighter future. by
having a business OF his own. es-
tablished by his father.
The Negro has right to all the
things mentioned by Jefferson. He
has the right to live. just as any
one else. He has a right TO fight
for all the things that other races
are enjoying. But the Negro will
never be able to enjoy these things.
unless he himself has a burning
desire to so do: and to so do. he
must learn TO stabilize his re-
sources In his own race.
DR. Thomas Parran. surgeon
general OF the United States. said
Poverty and ignorance are the
friends of disease in all races"
Since this Is true. there is only
one why in which the Negro car
lift himself out OF this terrible dill
emma. that is by the new system Of
economic racial consciousness. II
order to accomplish this task, W.
must harness more wealth within
The race We must spend more anC
more among our business men. II
order that we shall be able to bulls
great financial institutions. like
other races. so that our young mer
and women who are coming out o.
schools and colleges, may have
places in which to earn an hones
living TO which they are entitled.
Why is II that after seventy-fiv,
years OF freedom. we as race are
at the bottom OF the economic lad
der? The majority OF us are poor
" fed. poorly housed poorly cloth
ed and begging for help from thu
other races. We must admit that Ii
lack Of economic and racial sta
bility.
The Negroes destiny depends
upon his own initiative. He must
set in motion those unseen forces
that will lift him up in the opinion
of other races
In our midst to-day we se'
thousands Of jobless Negroes
starving Negro children. dyinl
from disease. because OF improper
food and other vital necessities.
We hang our heads in shame
Why? Because. according to the L
s. Department OF Internal Revenue
man living with his wife Is al
lowed S2.5OO year for food
clothing and housing. Each de
pendent undner eighteen years Of
are. is allowed $500 and a single
man or woman $1,000. This gives
the average Of 1915 a year for each
idiyidual, or s2,67 per day. as
minimum on which TO live
In the city of Detroit. we have
about 10000 Negroes. spending at
least s2.67 a day per person. or d
total OF $320.400 day. or Sis
$4,000 a year. How much OF this
huge sum of money is spent within
the race? Very little.
Negroes. wake up. There Is al
ways present" says Bacon. only
open your eyes and behold the
splendor.'
A child must learn to walk and
do things for itself, sometime. We
as a race. must wake up from our
lethargy, throw off the shackles
of jealousy that keep us apart
unite our financial forces by spend
ing more and more of our money
with our own group. This IL the
only way by which the Negro can
hope to prevent racial suicide.
4 COIOUED JIDCF-