Economic Forces Serving the Ends of the Negro Protest

Abstract

Favorable economic forces are essential to the realization of the objectives of the Negro protest. During the 1950's, economic forces were unfavorable: Negro education was grossly inferior to white; technological changes ejected Negroes from agriculture and from manufacturing production jobs; un employment rates rose. During these years, the Negro man's economic position fell relative to the white man's. In the future, several economic forces will aid Negroes: Technological change will create new occupations free of vested interests opposing admission of Negroes. Losing unskilled labor while gaining capital, Southern urban employment and wage rates will rise, benefiting Negroes as well as whites. Government will provide nondiscriminatory employment opportunities, and Ne groes will utilize military training and government employment experience to find work in the private economy. Declining birth rates will reduce pressure on unskilled wages and will im prove home environments of poor Negroes' children. Negro purchasing power, concentrating in cities, will press nondis criminatory employment policies upon employers. Negroes admitted to corporate managements will acquire experience permitting them to set up their own businesses. Most im portant, high-employment business stability will maintain an economic environment favoring rational—nondiscriminatory— use of the Negro potential, while every program reducing un employment rates will make that environment even more favorable.