The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-06-02
ONE FOURTH OF OUR PEOPLE

Editors Note: The following Is
from speech by Or. Paul r.
Corneiy Of Howard University and
is reprinted from The Southern
Pstriot)
There is no such thing as Negro
health-jus. as there is no Chinese
or Irish health Rather. Negro health
problems cannot be isolated from
health problems Of the whole COM
mun!ty This is easy 10 prove; the
SICK Negro who cannot work IN the
groves Of Florida curts.ls TO some
exten, the supply az oranges for
he breakfaS; % 4 white worker
N Connecticut: the physically de-
tcc;ive Negro who cannot be sc-
cep;ed in the armed forces affects
adversely the successful defense OF
our country.
Here Negro health problems,
their causes and suggested solu-
tons. are discussed in terms Of the
total Negro population. since the
problems 81 the almos, 10 million
Negroes in the South While more
acute. are not different from those
Of he group as whole.
Facts Of Negro Life and Death
TIE general Negro mortality rate
is so 20 20 per cen; higher than
he rate for whites
Negro lie expectancy is 10 10
- years shorter than tina; Of the
WNre group
Between the ages Of 20 and "a.
three .rcS as many Negro as white
women die
IN ,a42 there times as many
Negroes as whites died Of tuhercu-
.os.s And IN certain cities and age
groups. this d,spronoruon has
reached levels 81 "a /
Vcrcrca, disease i from % 20 -
times moro prevalent IN Negro
than in young white mon.
In spite O! nc fact that u,iliza-
ton Of Sulfa drugs has cUt fata,i-
te> tremendously. pneumonia and
influenza still Kill. proporiionately
;V.cc as many Negroes as whites,
Causes
Three major factors determine 10
great extent the health status OF
any croup. sotio-economic level.
educational, level. and availability
" health and medical care. In eacn
If these caicGoricS Negroes are
literally at The bottom of the pile -
The low economic stratum OF the
Negro Is we'll illustrated bv his
per capita income. The housing
facilities available 10 him. and the
nu,r,;Ional levc. az which he must
exist.
The low educational Level Of the
Negro * shown ~ the fact tha; UP
- January :. l945. 81 per cent of
NcSrN rclcctcCS examined under
sclcCt.Nc service we're q >Qua.lticd
bcca SC o. educational deficiency
II is no, difficult 20 explain this
educational deficiency when Il is
recalled that in 1855 ten south
ern states spent almost $50 for
each white child as compared 70
ST. FOR each Negro. In states like
Miss Ssippl and Georgia. Negro
child was allotted 50 for year s
education as compared 10 S4S for
a white youngster.
The bird factor lack OF health
and medical facilities. can be illus
tra,cd IN many ways. The avail
ability Of Negro physicians 10 serve
the Negro population is extremely
important. Yet in nc decade 1882
~. the number OF Negro physi.
clans IN The nation as a whole de-
creased 5 per cent in the South
L. per cent. while the total number
" physicians Nv the nation IN
creased - per cent The South with
ten million Negroes had 'cw more
,h1n = 600 Negro physicians. Ms
,iSSipyi employed 6Vc Negro pub.
IL, health nurses for = Negro pop
ulation " one million Negro
dentists we're even STwcer
General hoSrIal beds are Voc
fully lacking IN he South Hos.
pIial bed facilities tor specific dis.
eases are similarly inadequate