Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1910 — A DISTINCT RACE SPIRIT. [ARTICLE]

A DISTINCT RACE SPIRIT.

la Moat Every Line of Activity the Negro Is Getting a Foothold. It Is not short of astonishing. Indeed, to discover how far the negro has been able to develop in the 40-odd years since slavery a distinct rac« spirit and position, writes Ray Stannard Baker. It is pretty well known that he has been going into business, that he is acquiring much land, that he has many professional men, that he worships in his own churches »»* has many schools which he conducts—but in other lines of activity he is also gaining a foothold. For instance, I was surprised at finding so many negro theaters in the country—theaters not only owned or operated by negoes, but presenting plays written arid acted by negroes. As another illustration, the extensive organization of negro lodges of Elks and Masons and other secret orders, many of them with clubhouses, might be mentioned. Attention might be called to the almost Innumerable Insurance societies and companies maintained by negroes, the largest of which, The True Reformers, of Richmond, has over 50,900 members, and the the growth of negro newspapers and magazines (there are now over 200 In the country), but enough has been said, perhaps, to make the point that there has been a real development of a negro spirit and self-con-sciousness. Of course signal successes loom large among the 10,000,000 of the country and yet they show the possibilities; there is the hopeful side of negro conditions in this country as well as the dark and evil aspects of which we hear all too much.