It was difficult to get statements that would be a basis for a percentage estimate of how liberally white people traded with these Negro firms. Brokers gave no statements that could be so used because nearly all of the 16 brokers had many transactions which involved white owners and colored tenants, white or colored sellers and white or colored buyers. Employment agencies faced a similar situation. Of the other 279 firms, 81, or 29.7 per cent, reported no white customers; 92, or 33.3 per cent, reported that less than 10 per cent of their customers were white. Thus 63 per cent of the Negro business firms have to depend upon the small purchasing power of their own people for the trade with which to build up their enterprises. This is partly due to the feeling of the Negroes in business that they are to cater mainly to Negroes and partly to their inexperienced way of handling customers. But the main reasons are the difficulties they have in renting places in desirable localities and in the refusal of white people to patronize Negroes in many lines of trade.[76] Of the remaining firms 42, or 15 per cent, reported between 10 and 49 per cent white customers. The numbers above were small and only one firm, in the class of dressmaking and millinery, and three in the miscellaneous class, reported an exclusive white trade.
What a battle the Negro business man has to fight can be surmised when to the fact of a narrow patronage from his own people, who have the small purchasing power of their low-paid occupations, is added the severe competition of white firms with larger capital, with more extended credit and larger business experience, that vie with him for even this limited field. Table XXVIII ([p. 125]), which follows, was compiled on the basis of proprietors' statements of the probable number of white and colored customers over a given number of months. It is about as accurate as such an estimate can be and is far more reliable and definite than general impressions. The percentages of white customers are given, it being understood that the remainder were Negroes. This small amount of information is very significant in showing how the attitude of the white public affects the economic advancement of the Negroes.
In the foregoing chapter we have reviewed some very definite facts concerning the Negro business man's dealing with the community. We have seen that his enterprises are permanently established although against great odds, but that permanence of address is not so well secured. Nearly all, 260 out of 309, were known to have some of the usual methods of keeping accounts, and of the 205 from whom information on the matter was obtained about three-fourths gave credit either occasionally or habitually; while of the 94 who answered as to their receiving credit, about half did and the other half did not receive credit.
Table XXVIII. Estimated Proportions of White Customers of 279 Negro Business Enterprises, Manhattan, 1909.
| Class of establishment. | Estimated Proportion of Whites of Total Customers of Negro Business Enterprises. | |||||||||
| None. | Less than 10%. | 10%-24%. | 25%-49%. | 50%-74%. | 75%-89%. | 90%-100%. | 100%. | Doubtful and Unknown. | Total. | |
| Barber shops | 16 | 23 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 50 |
| Brokers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coal, wood and ice | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 19 |
| Dressmaking and millinery | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 8 |
| Employment agencies | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Express and moving vans | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 12 |
| Groceries | 10 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 36 |
| Hairdressers, etc. | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 8 |
| Hotels and lodging houses | 15 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 |
| Pool and billiard rooms | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 10 |
| Printers | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 5 |
| Restaurant and lunch rooms | 16 | 7 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 26 |
| Saloons and cafés | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 5 |
| Tailoring, pressing, etc. | 4 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 24 |
| Undertakers | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 |
| Miscellaneous | 4 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 48 |
| Totals | 81 | 92 | 22 | 20 | 28 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 279 |
The attitude of the white purchasing public has had a tremendous effect on Negro business, because it has failed to forget color in its business dealings. In many lines of business white people will not patronize Negroes at all and about two-thirds of all enterprises depend upon the low purchasing power of the Negro group. The idea that white people will not trade with them to any considerable extent and that they must depend upon their own people is so steeped into the mind of the Negro that he often does not perceive that he is catering to the whole public, white and black.