Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1952-06-14
TRAIchT
AHEAD"

NEW YORK - (GlobaD - For
many years the leadership of Ne
gro America has been drawn from
the major social agencies, educa-
tional institutions and the church.
es. This is understandable because
the major problem facing any
people Immediately after gaining
their freedom, is one of adjust
ment. The Negro had to become
accustomed to being free; had to
earn the meaning of responsibility
and citizenship.
1t is obvious now that the pc
Rod of time employed by the Ne
gro for orientation has been drag
ged out too long. 1t is past time
for him to turn his attention to
other problems-serious problems
of economics and the real meaning
of politics.
In New York, vast strides owe
being made to close the gap.
Spearheading group of enter
prising younger men determined
to put the Negro on the right road
to economic freedom and security,
is William R. Hudgins, energetic
president of Carver Federal Saw
| ings and Loan Association and
chairman of the Board of Directors
nf tho Associations of T,oIo
I'Commerce.
Mr.. Hudgins is successful bust
ness executive, and due to his pro-
gressiveness, has achieved a lead
ing position in community and
civic affairs.
At present, Mr.. Hudgins and his
associates are doing an outstand-
ing job in behalf Of small mer-
chants who face displacement as
new housing projects are erected.
He has also recommended to the
Association that Credit Union be
established as a means of aiding
small business men.
"At long last we have come to
realize the hard fact that our
! trouble is mainly economic" said
Mr.. Hudgins. eve have found that
economic power is the substitute
ture upon which the supnr-Struc-
ture of our social and political life
completely depend.
"Moderr business is built and
operates on investment capital. No
one person, and that includes those
among the wealthiest of Ameri-
cans, has enough money to erect
the kind of institutions needed to
keep America going . and none
of us, acting alone, is able finan-
cially to build the institutions
needed to make Harlem the kind
of community it ought to be. But
by pooling our money-and we
should pool our talents as we'll
we will be able to meet the chal-
lenge we face in the fight to lift
the iron curtain of economic iso-
lation and in doing so, shake off
the chains of political and social
slavery which have made US sec
liond-class citizens in our own native
land.
"The Credit Union is a most
valuable instrument in the life of
community. BY making available
substantial funds which may be
employed safely in business enter
prises, the Credit Union enables a
community with modest individual
resources to become one of self
respecting, self-supporting, enter
prising people, enjoying to the full
est all the advantages of an eco
nomic system that has built the
greatest country in the world.
owe have lost much time ana
sleep fighting social prejudice and
political obstruction without know
ing that these conditions were
hardly more than reflections of the
weak economic conditions in which
we have found ourselves. The
Credit Unions are doing much to
correct these conditions and I'M
questionably are doing more to
eradicate the evils of prejudice and
discrimination than thousand
protest meetings.
Credit Unions not only provide
funds for better business opportun-
tiles, but they contribute substan-
TALLY to the maintenance of our
economic freedom which is at the
core of the cherished American
Way of Life" Mr.. Hudgins con-