Twentieth Century Negro Literature - Or, A Cyclopedia of Thought on the Vital Topics Relating - to the American Negro by Various
page 58 of 854 (06%)
page 58 of 854 (06%)
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Slavery did not teach him economy; on the contrary, it taught him
profligacy, and, where he learned to economize, it was in spite of the system. His wastefulness is not yet a thing of the past, but he has made commendable advance in learning how to save. What are the facts? In the state of Georgia alone, the Negro has dug out of the hills more than $30,000,000 of taxable property. This amount represents more than five times the entire wealth of all the Negroes of the United States, North and South, bond and free, taxable and personal, at the birth of freedom. But when we collect together the wealth of the entire race, the figures read like romance. Some facts for reflection: Four millions of slaves were valued at $3,500,000,000. Negroes own 87 per cent of their homes in fee simple; 89 per cent of their farms are unencumbered. They own, Banks 3 Magazines 5 Newspapers 400 Value of Libraries $ 500,000 Drug stores 500,000 School property 20,000,000 Church property 42,000,000 160,000 farms 400,000,000 150,000 homes 350,000,000 Personal property 200,000,000 With these facts undisputed, the question, Has the Negro kept pace |
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