Progress and Achievements of the Colored People / Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success

by Kelly Miller; Joseph R. Gay

OWN YOUR OWN HOME

A man without a home may as well be a man without a country. A home is bail for success in life. Not a mere place to live and sleep, or eat and get your washing done, but a home of your own, what an Englishman calls his “castle.” Yours where you are safe from intruders, and feel like a king in his own domain.

It is easy to acquire a home, but you must begin at the beginning and do as all others have done and will always do. Buy the beginning of a home with what you can easily save out of your earnings or wages.

The way to do is to buy a small lot for a home, a small piece of ground upon which you can build a little cage for yourself, your dear ones, and for your posterity, or in anticipation of such an event. It pays. The man who does not dream of a posterity is not a good citizen, a good friend, nor a safe man to deal with.

You do not have to pay out a large sum of money; a small sum to begin with will secure you a start toward a home. Paying gradually, you will soon have the ownership of a portion of this green earth, and a spot all your own. Then you can build when the ground is paid for. That is the key to a home—get a lot paid for and you can always secure a building fund.

In this way you become a real member of society, a citizen who has an interest in the way his affairs are carried on. In addition to that, you are deemed a solid citizen, a fixture, and when the time comes you are the one selected to fill an opportunity of any sort within your capacity.