Official proceedings of the annual meeting: 1923

THE NEGRO'S STRUGGLE FOR HEALTH-JONES

7I

mortality among Negroes in that district in New York City where the rate was 314
per thousand had been reduced to a point lower than the infant mortality of the whites
in the same district.
These figures for New York in themselves tell a complete story when one compares them with the negro infant mortality of I890 in Richmond, when it was recorded
as 529.8 per thousand; in Charleston, when it was recorded as 461.7 per thousand; in
New Orleans, when it was rated as 430.2 per thousand. In this connection, I might
add that the infant mortality among whites in New Orleans in I890 was 269.4. per
thousand; in Charleston 200.4 per thousand; in Richmond I86.9; far in excess of the
infant mortality among Negroes in New York at the present time.
Possibly the most effective educational movement for improving health among
Negroes generally has been the National Negro Health Week which was started in
1914 by Booker T. Washington through the National Negro Business League at the
suggestion of the Virginia Organization Society, which immediately received the
co-operation of the National Urban League and, subsequently, the active aid of the
surgeon general's office, state boards of health, and other national organizations.
These agencies each year early in the spring conduct a week's campaign of health education followed up in as many places as possible by continuous health propaganda
throughout the year.
One of the notable organizations performing this continued health service is the
American Social Hygiene Association, which has a department which has given especial
attention to sex education among Negroes. In connection with this reference to the
effort to reduce venereal disease, it is proper to mention again the absence of venereal
diseases among Negroes on their advent to this country. Possibly one of the most
unfortunate incidents in connection with the Negro's contact with the whites was the
transmission, from the whites, of the curse of venereal diseases to the Negroes. The
Young Men's Christian Association and the Young Women's Christian Association
have also conducted helpful health programs. At the formation of the Community
Service, Incorporated, Negroes were considered, and now there are more than 400
committees throughout the country engaged in providing leisure-time activities for the
colored population. This of course has had and is still having a very excellent effect
on the health conditions among Negroes, as recreation which affords fresh air and wholesome exercise is recognized as an aid to health. Through these educational campaigns,
both of a health and of an economic nature, Negroes have been induced to save their
money, to purchase their own homes, and to invest in housing projects. One out of
every four Negro families in the United States today owns its own home. This of
course tends to regulate the home life of the family with good results in improving
health.
In the United States there are now among the Negroes 6,ooo physicians, 3,000
trained nurses, I5o hospitals and sanatoriums; 1oo national or state sick-benefit societies, with many hundreds of locals, and 500 social-service workers engaged in active
service among the colored people. Fifteen years ago there were probably no trained
colored social workers. There is a Negro physician now for every 1,700 of Negro
population. Twenty-five years ago, not only were there few colored physicians, but
it was claimed that Negroes had no faith in colored physicians and would not call in
even a white physician except in cases which threatened to be fatal.