SOCIAIv AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF THE NEGRO FARMERS 10 3 



§ 5. Negro rurai. associations and co-operative societies. 



The union of forces has contributed to this progress. There are several 

 negro agricultural associations and co-operative societies, of economic 

 character or for the promotion of moral and material interests. They have 

 arisen under difficulties and are therefore fruitful of good results. 



The first associations for the improvement of the negro race were 

 formed amongst the whites, or by whites and blacks together on the initiat- 

 ive of enhghtened minds in the universities or in the various churches. 

 Those formed among the negroes alone for their economic and social advance 

 were only founded later. 



Amongst those specially concerned with agriculture the first in im- 

 portance is the Tuskegee Conference, which held its first meeting at Tuskegee 

 (Alabama), in 1880. This organization has worked continuously and actively 

 in behalf of the negro farmers, especially the Southern farmers, bringing 

 them into contact with each each other and spreading new and improved 

 methods of cultivation. The Tuskegee Institute founded by this organiz- 

 ation is the principal centre for the economic and educational progress 

 of the negroes. 



The Southern Improvement Association, established in the neighbourhood 

 of the Tuskegee Institute, succeeded in the six years preceding 1889 in 

 obtaining about 4,000 acres for negro farmers who cultivated them under 

 the direction of agents of the society and afterwards became proprietors 

 of small farms of from 40 to 60 acres. 



The Farmers' Improvement Association of Texas, the members of which 

 (negroes) now possess more than 75,000 acres of a value of more than 

 1,000,000 dollars, founded an agricultural college at lyavonia, Texas, in 

 1906 and a bank at Waco (Texas) in 1911. 



IvCt us also mention the Country Farm Association, founded in 

 November, 1909 at Woodstown (New Jersey), with the object of spreading 

 among the negroes the most improved methods of agriculture and sale of 

 produce. 



We shall briefly mention other organizations which, although not agri- 

 cultural, have often been of assistance to the negro farmers. The National 

 Negro Bankers' League organized at Boston in 1890 to stimulate enterprises 

 of economic character among the negroes, and increase their members, 

 includes 11 leagues having for their field of action entire States and also 

 221 local leagues. The National Negro Bankers' Association, founded in 

 1906, represents 64 negro banks with a capital of 1,600,000 dollars and 

 a total business of 20,000,000 dollars. 



§ 6. SociAiy conditions of the negro farmers. 



The economic progress of the negroes in agriculture has been accom- 

 panied by their continual social improvement. Tliis movement of a 

 whole race that, after centuries of slavery, is tending to rise to the level 



