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~ U.S. News & World Report
~
_ Exclusive Interview—
A NEGRO BUSINESSMAN ‘:
_ SPEAKS HIS MIND
7
ae. tacial demonstrations, now spreading across the nation,
TN saeiae Negro’s problems? Is the Negro actually a ‘second-class
citizen"? If so, who is to blame—-the white man? You get unexpected
answers to these and other questions from a leading Negro busi-
ee he is S. B. Fuller, interviewed in Chicago by a member of
BN " i the staff of “U. 5. News & World Report.” His conclusions: A Negro,
Roh, else, can get ahead only by hard work and enterprise,
dors ace $0. ete hd rights
cass yple have in America—
Qin a way do you wet seal By
as a right to vote, a to start kines
lie and he has a right to find a tob, there's
anybod® that he oan selt survies to. he has to learn
to use thase rights, ‘
- Q Did you Gud’ ie possible to fetbahead?
A Yes, indeed, 1 left Louisiana ut the age of 15. years
witkea sixthegrade oducution. My people moved to. Memphis
Tenn, ‘ind we lived there for cight ‘years, Thea I hitch-
ie my ae to Chicago, | got a job here and oo out
i ie fey trae ahead workiriy for soy
23, and I took the $25 ar Pong some
k aes andl oe en selling soap from door to’ ¢ and from
; tt a it ee men co vss oa, :
? ‘No, een ae I col wee own people my own Peocct.
by ae is the value of you sales annually, would you
5 ek
a Sa year, it will tun about 10 million dollars.
‘ou have markets in the South, too?
Z i wave markets in the South for the colored only, We
don't have any markets in the South where a sell to the
whites, Bat we havé white customers in the North
Q Has thal market grown much in recent pati
A Yeu, it has e@ constant growth, We continnwe to buy out
olher compubies-{ we find a white company haying finan
cia) problems, we buy it-aut Then we koe the white em-
pl yeg ariel iclel to Me wolovodd payroil.
OQ How ray employer, do you have altogether?
A We dive bil pin’ Hig pa pall about: (i Oomph
Q Hew yas pag me ure white?
A Alwun 7 Ww them ue white. And on ou
ta-tlonr seul) heat rout 34000 people sellin
dabscnist 500 of tlhe ti white
Q Is there am mtion” Dna
work lor yaw;
white persons seqin te resest
oR Copyright © 1963, U.S, N
ews & World Report, ‘nc.
A No, the white, people here are talking integration mor
than the colored people.
Q What do you mean by that?
A Here, in our organization, the white people are verv
sensitive about being treated as inferior in our organization
They are more concerned about discrimination than th
Negroes are.
~ Qoe thing that 1 find in my. organization is thise If 1
don't wateli very closely, the Nemo bosses her co dis-
eriminate and hire all Negroes and no whites.” I’m con
stantly watching them te see that thev hire people on their
merit ayd not on the color of their skin.
Q Would you say, then, that racial diserinnnite. o
found among all races?
A.:}t is a universal human tniit-and people ua uy
they can do so, at a profit. When it becomes unpriititabh
they forget it
Hero in our Organization, it pays the white people vot to
discriminate. st the Negro, and they dont. But tbe
Negroes will siminate against the white people becaus:
they ace trying td. get the white people out of some of these
Well-paying joba und put some Negroes in them.
Q in wha! way do they try this?
A Wf « whife man applies for a iob, and if nobody else
knows it, the Negro supervisor will not hire him ‘He i hire
another Netro
© In general, what do you think is the answer (0 the race
nroblem in this country?
A Well, the problam ix one the Nowra las !
himself, Negroes aie vot discriminate! aganst |x
the color of their skin. They are disciminuted
cause they have not wnyvthivg to offer that |
bury
The minute that they can develop
exoel in whatever they do—ihen the
hey dont have any real ps
4) example is buseball
big leagues. But wl the owre
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, Augus? 19, 1963
et
ee
-Ernent Dellahoussaxe Photos
Mr Fuller inspects operations ot his cosmetics plant in Chicago
5.8, Fuller, Gt 58, hos reached oa level of business suc
cess ‘attained by few men—white oc Negra, In addition to
the Fuller Products Company, which produces a nationally
known line of cosmetics and, allied producs, he controls
eight other corporations, Among them is a department store
in Chitago, a real estate test in New York, andthe “Couner’’
chain of newspapers serving Negra readers in Chicago, New
York, Detron and Pittsburgh.
@ Is there any justification, then, for Negro complaints
about their lot in. life? ‘
A ‘Shey have some logitgmate camplaiits, but not ven
vane Thee asl) find that your catinot, suesa mun and mike
hirn wuut bo hye next door te you. You've got tp sell him the
iceea tet vol Abe jst as gud as He Goby perdormance You
must pentove yoo lire your job. You wmst tan voor young
sters, Totemust keep yar conmmimnt) as clean as the shite
yuu’ ebtinwty. You must keép up thestiome ay well as le
i b¢ntyp./ We!
Q Wo the Negroes have sat done these things, wh. os that?
ALA GaP Chan k chit the Newnes tase Heenttsnuht enoug!
conpdenimny this. Renveinkan thie The Negroes have bren
fee For FOO vent y, het, caring Chad time, toy wihite whiny thats
rat HOW ars tooth, He bas akvays trigdit che Negroes:
/ i
that they acme at, a dnudyaitage, Hi ies et deskel. De yrogs
Wat fide Umeriemefior Ais, that “shenitdl
clean, gp tHETe, gy community and that the Wika wevpt
ene pith Pati sit ; .
Thea haw ni vor told Tit this ia plain Figlstl: Nov Kay
whe White mat toh! Negroes what the white people say abont
the Néueh Whe: the Neary is not present. This is whpart! iw)
shawl stat doiug felling Negroes in Fheie presdhic® what
Hes aay. qbour them i), theit absence
Q Do vou mean mention the onfavorabie
ubwnt Negroes?
A Now Mis bad, thew tel them
Q Are the’ raciai demonstrations doing «endl?
A rh Cece yeti! certs T\awe mude (he wl brunt know
ligt) the Noociits ane disvil seth, Bit lt kiew that iW ihe
first yphide Bes iard that, fF dowt tank thew 4 doiie ws
cal, to Faelt, Wie Maeve dour hirin in the pacdan thes ive
ul Negroes
Q Will the demonstrations continue, da you think?
A Oh, fev will go on as lang as they get publicity from
it. When they don't yet am publicity, they (il dit out |
dou't think the demunestratians will go on us much as {8
monihs Jaen
Q Do Martin Luther King and others of his views speak
for the Negro people as a whole?
conmiments
A No. they speak for certain small ‘groups of people. U
U.S. NEWS & WORED REPORT, August 19, 1963
Born of poor parents in Louisiana, Mr. Fuller went fo
schon! only os far as the sixth grade. Moving to Chicago
as a young man, he started the Fuller Products Company in
1935. on copital of $25. Today its gross sales come to more
than) 10 million dollars a year. While he opposes the views
and tactics being used by ‘militant’ Negroes, Mr, Fuller
describes himself as an “integrationist’ —pointing out that
many of his employes ore white.
cen ei EEE ETS
they wore speaking for the Negro peopk as a whole, youd
find more Negroes demoustrating 4s We those who ave
deqonstyating and “silting in? ard a very pall atunorits ool
{lye Nowrous
Q-Are the Black Muslims really important in the Negro
camminpity?
A Noothey are trot The Black Mushims bave «a vert sim
imdaunigayuian. We fs) tydit!y organived and its members an
loyal to their caerse, Lavi tagcat reuse’ ds. ver sill
Q. Why is it that we hear 50 mueh about the ‘frustra-
tious of the Negro?
A Ive bednise thaw have been phiyed up finvigh OW tie
teluvisiens, oo the aalho oniclein, the, dems apapets
QQ Do you ever herr of militint Neuroes cflling you an
“Kinele Tom’?
A No Negro calls Me ane’ be le Vin” Het cant gall ine
Wile Toma" bevdine Loempley white pegple. And “Linch
{Hie nevloP-owiplos ad an white: people.
Q What about the charge of some militant Negroes that
Newo, moderates ave sabyervient to whites?
A | thik that this is. very dungeroubeat 1S an attempt te
inizall Heeespeeoh. Tothink That every Tian should have a
right te hie owl oprntenms f may disagree with lam. but i
lefiend Wis rit to say ity
ad ae more wnederates than we hear of Init samme are
ld iil The WV thet ra Nh. They ae hes wine ed the ‘
are samewtiat fearful of speaking out
Q We vou find any other Negro bhirsinessinen vetting
ahead in the same wev that you did?
A | find « few, but 1 don't think thar esowh dequs ae
doine so. because no one has sat down wil lola than o
he possibilities of doing sume thinw for themselves
Q What about the argument that it is the white oan oF
‘“ociety” that is to blame for the Negro’s problems?
A The crimes that vou find in H irha, for anstamee, ane
eansed by the people of Harlem, aud its nobody's feat bua
i 'i the peor le ot Hale th. Tecame from cry pool taviily
and in those davs, there was not thé crime thal vou have. to
dav. When PE was a boy, they keplus busy doing something. -
Today it’s hard te find a buy i Harlem te se )) reawspapers
] Pa]
(continucd on Aext page)
e "Negroes must learn to risk their capital”
come tax on r $100,000. How else could n sixth-grade
scholar have a Oe in America that paid him over $100,000
a year unless h& was in bnsinesy for himself?
-Q Why are Negroes reluctant to get into business? Are
they, afraid to: © responsibility, do vou think?
Yes, bdo th ink so. There have bear some fuilutes in
Negro: business there are failures in all businesses, But Ne-
‘grous umust to risk shejy capital rat pat it in other
4 per cent on it, whem they
thems ves and, este 10° or beret
peoples bunk: 2 draw 3 ¢
i) my ei
Negroes tend to
my the rest of th Negro ceibnainee and its problems?
{s there any truth tu this?
A No, f dew't think so, tam working with the churches and
all the Givic ov tiows in Chicago. Lam a meraber of the
hoard of the ago Association af Coruyarge and isdustry,
I'm a member of local Chamber of Commerce, [ work
with the YMCA, IT work with the Urban League, I work
with all of théydivic orgemizations in the community. .
Tam trying now to erganize u group to buy a begpital
in the Negro community, aud Tia alsy the treasterer of the
Midwest Baptist Home for the Aged, | am jn civic aflaieg and
| find alf the other Negroes here in bisiness ace ching the
same thing.
U.S. MEWS & WORLD REPORT, August 19, 1963
INTERVIEW With a Negro Businessman
Q What would be your advice today to a young, Negro
coming out of school?
A My advice today is, first, co to school and yet a good
education. It’s not up to the teacher to see that he gets it.
[t's up th the student. When a Negzo child goes to. school,
hie noust concentrate on his work,
‘ Then, when he comes ont of school,-come out w ith Soni
thin to offer, a talent chat he caw sell.
Q But we hear that the schools available to Negroes oftex
are inferior, that they don't offer a good education—
‘A Well, 1 think that the schools that the Ne groes attend
here in Chicago have about the same facilities as ather
schools. Anyway, it’s not so much the facilities of the school
that count as the attitude of the student, ”
Q Will demoustrations encourage Negroes to work hard-
er, beer more self-reliant? Pt
A No, U find that the Negro today does not have as much “* 7 *
ambiti as he hac 25 years ago.
Q Why is that? ,
think the trouble is that no one tells the Negra that
ousible for himself-—bebig unemployed, When 1 .
boy nobody helped us. You had to help yourself, and 9
u had to learn to “do,” You had to have the ‘Know-how aS
pins ‘the do-how, pe. \
‘ ~ \ My mother died when | was 17 years old, She left six
| sbesideS myself, The relief people camie and offered us’ >
some relief, Lut we did not acéept it, because: it was, Sones)
thing of a shame for people to receive relief in those days.”
We were embarrassed just becauce the relief woman cante
‘to talk to us. We did not want the neighbors to know we
‘ couldn’t make it for ‘onrselves, So we youngsters made {1
for ourselves.
Q’What kind of work did you do? - : }
A | sold from door té door. { starved selling from door
to door when [ was 9 years old, and have been elliog
ever since. | "|
Q Do you feel that some raves have more of an aptitude f
for busi than rs Or more of an ability to sel?
A No. RaSh Sh Se deni Any. ,
e eee ape he’s just_as good a Salesman as hy.
uve aneart galesince serving white ayant
that you van ervate
sh, ‘ af
LOOK oluetiay’® ’
pa ca pomorn ences the. Fabien the De
suse é
~
ei
BER cs Vek es el lace foe Negroes?
a Aureriva is the best place for the Negro in the worl.
Amesica is the best place for any man in the world.
Q Is the Negro basically wuhappy, do you think?
Al think the Negro is very unhappy, but ifs not from
Segregation. He's vohappy because he is wnomployed.
Some of the leaders will tell him he’y unemployed be-
cause lie’s a Neuro, and that segregation is the cause of
his being unemployed, But that is not true. We have un
employment in America, and the Nogro is the last hired
aud the first fired. because he doesn't do anv of the hiring
or the firing,
Q What is the answer, then, to the Negrv’y future?
A Work. And not only that: He must work and he must
suve-hig money and he must pool his money. If he wants itite-
gration, he must hire white people just as he wants white
people to hire him. LEND
61
a i a ll ileal
RICHARD B. RUSSELL MEADE:
GEORGIA APPROPRIATIONS COMMITEE
ABRONAUTICAL AND SPACE
SCIENCES COMMIITEL
CHAIRMAN: JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC INERGY
- ° TMOCRATIC POLICY COMMITTEE
AEE aS Oem peri Tee “MNCriled Dla les Senate nEMoC RAT\C STEERING COMMITTBL,
Seer AL IPR IGARE ee , APPROPRIATION SUACOMMITTERS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
AGHICULTURE Arad VELATEO AGENCIES
DEFICH NCH 4 Ate er bet TALS
INSLEY) eT OF RICE Ss
INTERIOR ANT HOLATIO AGHRCIES
LAPOR, HEAL Ta, ) UAT ION AND
WEL ART Ke he CATO AGE SCIUS
August 2h; 1965 MILITARY Coane TRUCTION
PLBLIC Works
APPROPRIATIONS SUBCGMMITTEE
ON THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE
Mr. Jack J. Rushin
377 Techwood Drive, N. W.
Atlanta 13, Georgia
Dear Friend:
Permit me to acknowledge andthank you for sending
me a copy of your letter to the Secretary of State.
I deplore violence under any circumstances and
especially so when it is related to the racial situation. One
of the inescapable lessons of history shows that it is much
easier to generate mob action than it is to control it.
Those in high office have no idea of the untold
damage they are doing to sur constitutional system hy
approving these demonstrations. I have attacked this
attitude time and again, but unfortunately, the rest of the
country has chosen to make the South the whipping boy in all
Kacial matters and through the use of all of the communi-
eations media (including had abuse of the television) have
generated feeliag aqainst the South: amounting almost to a
national disease. Unfortunately, the “chickens will come
home to roost" with them, for attack on orderly government
ean only result in anarchy.
With cvery good wish, T am
Sincerely,
=
~ U.S. News & World Report
~
_ Exclusive Interview—
A NEGRO BUSINESSMAN ‘:
_ SPEAKS HIS MIND
7
ae. tacial demonstrations, now spreading across the nation,
TN saeiae Negro’s problems? Is the Negro actually a ‘second-class
citizen"? If so, who is to blame—-the white man? You get unexpected
answers to these and other questions from a leading Negro busi-
ee he is S. B. Fuller, interviewed in Chicago by a member of
BN " i the staff of “U. 5. News & World Report.” His conclusions: A Negro,
Roh, else, can get ahead only by hard work and enterprise,
dors ace $0. ete hd rights
cass yple have in America—
Qin a way do you wet seal By
as a right to vote, a to start kines
lie and he has a right to find a tob, there's
anybod® that he oan selt survies to. he has to learn
to use thase rights, ‘
- Q Did you Gud’ ie possible to fetbahead?
A Yes, indeed, 1 left Louisiana ut the age of 15. years
witkea sixthegrade oducution. My people moved to. Memphis
Tenn, ‘ind we lived there for cight ‘years, Thea I hitch-
ie my ae to Chicago, | got a job here and oo out
i ie fey trae ahead workiriy for soy
23, and I took the $25 ar Pong some
k aes andl oe en selling soap from door to’ ¢ and from
; tt a it ee men co vss oa, :
? ‘No, een ae I col wee own people my own Peocct.
by ae is the value of you sales annually, would you
5 ek
a Sa year, it will tun about 10 million dollars.
‘ou have markets in the South, too?
Z i wave markets in the South for the colored only, We
don't have any markets in the South where a sell to the
whites, Bat we havé white customers in the North
Q Has thal market grown much in recent pati
A Yeu, it has e@ constant growth, We continnwe to buy out
olher compubies-{ we find a white company haying finan
cia) problems, we buy it-aut Then we koe the white em-
pl yeg ariel iclel to Me wolovodd payroil.
OQ How ray employer, do you have altogether?
A We dive bil pin’ Hig pa pall about: (i Oomph
Q Hew yas pag me ure white?
A Alwun 7 Ww them ue white. And on ou
ta-tlonr seul) heat rout 34000 people sellin
dabscnist 500 of tlhe ti white
Q Is there am mtion” Dna
work lor yaw;
white persons seqin te resest
oR Copyright © 1963, U.S, N
ews & World Report, ‘nc.
A No, the white, people here are talking integration mor
than the colored people.
Q What do you mean by that?
A Here, in our organization, the white people are verv
sensitive about being treated as inferior in our organization
They are more concerned about discrimination than th
Negroes are.
~ Qoe thing that 1 find in my. organization is thise If 1
don't wateli very closely, the Nemo bosses her co dis-
eriminate and hire all Negroes and no whites.” I’m con
stantly watching them te see that thev hire people on their
merit ayd not on the color of their skin.
Q Would you say, then, that racial diserinnnite. o
found among all races?
A.:}t is a universal human tniit-and people ua uy
they can do so, at a profit. When it becomes unpriititabh
they forget it
Hero in our Organization, it pays the white people vot to
discriminate. st the Negro, and they dont. But tbe
Negroes will siminate against the white people becaus:
they ace trying td. get the white people out of some of these
Well-paying joba und put some Negroes in them.
Q in wha! way do they try this?
A Wf « whife man applies for a iob, and if nobody else
knows it, the Negro supervisor will not hire him ‘He i hire
another Netro
© In general, what do you think is the answer (0 the race
nroblem in this country?
A Well, the problam ix one the Nowra las !
himself, Negroes aie vot discriminate! aganst |x
the color of their skin. They are disciminuted
cause they have not wnyvthivg to offer that |
bury
The minute that they can develop
exoel in whatever they do—ihen the
hey dont have any real ps
4) example is buseball
big leagues. But wl the owre
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, Augus? 19, 1963
et
ee
-Ernent Dellahoussaxe Photos
Mr Fuller inspects operations ot his cosmetics plant in Chicago
5.8, Fuller, Gt 58, hos reached oa level of business suc
cess ‘attained by few men—white oc Negra, In addition to
the Fuller Products Company, which produces a nationally
known line of cosmetics and, allied producs, he controls
eight other corporations, Among them is a department store
in Chitago, a real estate test in New York, andthe “Couner’’
chain of newspapers serving Negra readers in Chicago, New
York, Detron and Pittsburgh.
@ Is there any justification, then, for Negro complaints
about their lot in. life? ‘
A ‘Shey have some logitgmate camplaiits, but not ven
vane Thee asl) find that your catinot, suesa mun and mike
hirn wuut bo hye next door te you. You've got tp sell him the
iceea tet vol Abe jst as gud as He Goby perdormance You
must pentove yoo lire your job. You wmst tan voor young
sters, Totemust keep yar conmmimnt) as clean as the shite
yuu’ ebtinwty. You must keép up thestiome ay well as le
i b¢ntyp./ We!
Q Wo the Negroes have sat done these things, wh. os that?
ALA GaP Chan k chit the Newnes tase Heenttsnuht enoug!
conpdenimny this. Renveinkan thie The Negroes have bren
fee For FOO vent y, het, caring Chad time, toy wihite whiny thats
rat HOW ars tooth, He bas akvays trigdit che Negroes:
/ i
that they acme at, a dnudyaitage, Hi ies et deskel. De yrogs
Wat fide Umeriemefior Ais, that “shenitdl
clean, gp tHETe, gy community and that the Wika wevpt
ene pith Pati sit ; .
Thea haw ni vor told Tit this ia plain Figlstl: Nov Kay
whe White mat toh! Negroes what the white people say abont
the Néueh Whe: the Neary is not present. This is whpart! iw)
shawl stat doiug felling Negroes in Fheie presdhic® what
Hes aay. qbour them i), theit absence
Q Do vou mean mention the onfavorabie
ubwnt Negroes?
A Now Mis bad, thew tel them
Q Are the’ raciai demonstrations doing «endl?
A rh Cece yeti! certs T\awe mude (he wl brunt know
ligt) the Noociits ane disvil seth, Bit lt kiew that iW ihe
first yphide Bes iard that, fF dowt tank thew 4 doiie ws
cal, to Faelt, Wie Maeve dour hirin in the pacdan thes ive
ul Negroes
Q Will the demonstrations continue, da you think?
A Oh, fev will go on as lang as they get publicity from
it. When they don't yet am publicity, they (il dit out |
dou't think the demunestratians will go on us much as {8
monihs Jaen
Q Do Martin Luther King and others of his views speak
for the Negro people as a whole?
conmiments
A No. they speak for certain small ‘groups of people. U
U.S. NEWS & WORED REPORT, August 19, 1963
Born of poor parents in Louisiana, Mr. Fuller went fo
schon! only os far as the sixth grade. Moving to Chicago
as a young man, he started the Fuller Products Company in
1935. on copital of $25. Today its gross sales come to more
than) 10 million dollars a year. While he opposes the views
and tactics being used by ‘militant’ Negroes, Mr, Fuller
describes himself as an “integrationist’ —pointing out that
many of his employes ore white.
cen ei EEE ETS
they wore speaking for the Negro peopk as a whole, youd
find more Negroes demoustrating 4s We those who ave
deqonstyating and “silting in? ard a very pall atunorits ool
{lye Nowrous
Q-Are the Black Muslims really important in the Negro
camminpity?
A Noothey are trot The Black Mushims bave «a vert sim
imdaunigayuian. We fs) tydit!y organived and its members an
loyal to their caerse, Lavi tagcat reuse’ ds. ver sill
Q. Why is it that we hear 50 mueh about the ‘frustra-
tious of the Negro?
A Ive bednise thaw have been phiyed up finvigh OW tie
teluvisiens, oo the aalho oniclein, the, dems apapets
QQ Do you ever herr of militint Neuroes cflling you an
“Kinele Tom’?
A No Negro calls Me ane’ be le Vin” Het cant gall ine
Wile Toma" bevdine Loempley white pegple. And “Linch
{Hie nevloP-owiplos ad an white: people.
Q What about the charge of some militant Negroes that
Newo, moderates ave sabyervient to whites?
A | thik that this is. very dungeroubeat 1S an attempt te
inizall Heeespeeoh. Tothink That every Tian should have a
right te hie owl oprntenms f may disagree with lam. but i
lefiend Wis rit to say ity
ad ae more wnederates than we hear of Init samme are
ld iil The WV thet ra Nh. They ae hes wine ed the ‘
are samewtiat fearful of speaking out
Q We vou find any other Negro bhirsinessinen vetting
ahead in the same wev that you did?
A | find « few, but 1 don't think thar esowh dequs ae
doine so. because no one has sat down wil lola than o
he possibilities of doing sume thinw for themselves
Q What about the argument that it is the white oan oF
‘“ociety” that is to blame for the Negro’s problems?
A The crimes that vou find in H irha, for anstamee, ane
eansed by the people of Harlem, aud its nobody's feat bua
i 'i the peor le ot Hale th. Tecame from cry pool taviily
and in those davs, there was not thé crime thal vou have. to
dav. When PE was a boy, they keplus busy doing something. -
Today it’s hard te find a buy i Harlem te se )) reawspapers
] Pa]
(continucd on Aext page)
e "Negroes must learn to risk their capital”
come tax on r $100,000. How else could n sixth-grade
scholar have a Oe in America that paid him over $100,000
a year unless h& was in bnsinesy for himself?
-Q Why are Negroes reluctant to get into business? Are
they, afraid to: © responsibility, do vou think?
Yes, bdo th ink so. There have bear some fuilutes in
Negro: business there are failures in all businesses, But Ne-
‘grous umust to risk shejy capital rat pat it in other
4 per cent on it, whem they
thems ves and, este 10° or beret
peoples bunk: 2 draw 3 ¢
i) my ei
Negroes tend to
my the rest of th Negro ceibnainee and its problems?
{s there any truth tu this?
A No, f dew't think so, tam working with the churches and
all the Givic ov tiows in Chicago. Lam a meraber of the
hoard of the ago Association af Coruyarge and isdustry,
I'm a member of local Chamber of Commerce, [ work
with the YMCA, IT work with the Urban League, I work
with all of théydivic orgemizations in the community. .
Tam trying now to erganize u group to buy a begpital
in the Negro community, aud Tia alsy the treasterer of the
Midwest Baptist Home for the Aged, | am jn civic aflaieg and
| find alf the other Negroes here in bisiness ace ching the
same thing.
U.S. MEWS & WORLD REPORT, August 19, 1963
INTERVIEW With a Negro Businessman
Q What would be your advice today to a young, Negro
coming out of school?
A My advice today is, first, co to school and yet a good
education. It’s not up to the teacher to see that he gets it.
[t's up th the student. When a Negzo child goes to. school,
hie noust concentrate on his work,
‘ Then, when he comes ont of school,-come out w ith Soni
thin to offer, a talent chat he caw sell.
Q But we hear that the schools available to Negroes oftex
are inferior, that they don't offer a good education—
‘A Well, 1 think that the schools that the Ne groes attend
here in Chicago have about the same facilities as ather
schools. Anyway, it’s not so much the facilities of the school
that count as the attitude of the student, ”
Q Will demoustrations encourage Negroes to work hard-
er, beer more self-reliant? Pt
A No, U find that the Negro today does not have as much “* 7 *
ambiti as he hac 25 years ago.
Q Why is that? ,
think the trouble is that no one tells the Negra that
ousible for himself-—bebig unemployed, When 1 .
boy nobody helped us. You had to help yourself, and 9
u had to learn to “do,” You had to have the ‘Know-how aS
pins ‘the do-how, pe. \
‘ ~ \ My mother died when | was 17 years old, She left six
| sbesideS myself, The relief people camie and offered us’ >
some relief, Lut we did not acéept it, because: it was, Sones)
thing of a shame for people to receive relief in those days.”
We were embarrassed just becauce the relief woman cante
‘to talk to us. We did not want the neighbors to know we
‘ couldn’t make it for ‘onrselves, So we youngsters made {1
for ourselves.
Q’What kind of work did you do? - : }
A | sold from door té door. { starved selling from door
to door when [ was 9 years old, and have been elliog
ever since. | "|
Q Do you feel that some raves have more of an aptitude f
for busi than rs Or more of an ability to sel?
A No. RaSh Sh Se deni Any. ,
e eee ape he’s just_as good a Salesman as hy.
uve aneart galesince serving white ayant
that you van ervate
sh, ‘ af
LOOK oluetiay’® ’
pa ca pomorn ences the. Fabien the De
suse é
~
ei
BER cs Vek es el lace foe Negroes?
a Aureriva is the best place for the Negro in the worl.
Amesica is the best place for any man in the world.
Q Is the Negro basically wuhappy, do you think?
Al think the Negro is very unhappy, but ifs not from
Segregation. He's vohappy because he is wnomployed.
Some of the leaders will tell him he’y unemployed be-
cause lie’s a Neuro, and that segregation is the cause of
his being unemployed, But that is not true. We have un
employment in America, and the Nogro is the last hired
aud the first fired. because he doesn't do anv of the hiring
or the firing,
Q What is the answer, then, to the Negrv’y future?
A Work. And not only that: He must work and he must
suve-hig money and he must pool his money. If he wants itite-
gration, he must hire white people just as he wants white
people to hire him. LEND
61
a i a ll ileal
RICHARD B. RUSSELL MEADE:
GEORGIA APPROPRIATIONS COMMITEE
ABRONAUTICAL AND SPACE
SCIENCES COMMIITEL
CHAIRMAN: JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC INERGY
- ° TMOCRATIC POLICY COMMITTEE
AEE aS Oem peri Tee “MNCriled Dla les Senate nEMoC RAT\C STEERING COMMITTBL,
Seer AL IPR IGARE ee , APPROPRIATION SUACOMMITTERS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
AGHICULTURE Arad VELATEO AGENCIES
DEFICH NCH 4 Ate er bet TALS
INSLEY) eT OF RICE Ss
INTERIOR ANT HOLATIO AGHRCIES
LAPOR, HEAL Ta, ) UAT ION AND
WEL ART Ke he CATO AGE SCIUS
August 2h; 1965 MILITARY Coane TRUCTION
PLBLIC Works
APPROPRIATIONS SUBCGMMITTEE
ON THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE
Mr. Jack J. Rushin
377 Techwood Drive, N. W.
Atlanta 13, Georgia
Dear Friend:
Permit me to acknowledge andthank you for sending
me a copy of your letter to the Secretary of State.
I deplore violence under any circumstances and
especially so when it is related to the racial situation. One
of the inescapable lessons of history shows that it is much
easier to generate mob action than it is to control it.
Those in high office have no idea of the untold
damage they are doing to sur constitutional system hy
approving these demonstrations. I have attacked this
attitude time and again, but unfortunately, the rest of the
country has chosen to make the South the whipping boy in all
Kacial matters and through the use of all of the communi-
eations media (including had abuse of the television) have
generated feeliag aqainst the South: amounting almost to a
national disease. Unfortunately, the “chickens will come
home to roost" with them, for attack on orderly government
ean only result in anarchy.
With cvery good wish, T am
Sincerely,