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Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, once said "Don't whine about privileges you don't enjoy." This famous quote of President Roosevelt was announced to the negroes population at his National Business League in 1910. He then stated that they should "plunge ahead and make the best of the opportunities they have." In the article below, Roosevelt stated: "....attention having been sharply drawn to the matter by the demand that the right of applying injunctions in labor cases should be wholly abolished." Theodore Roosevelt was an advocate for negroes to work in the early 1900's. If it was to be abolished, the negroes would be still fighting for economic and social equality today. He wanted the African Americans to put forth the effort in their work, like the white population did and they shall be rewarded with satisfaction and honor for their duty. The AA's were most likely hesitant to work because it would bring back bad memories of working the fields as an enslaved African American. The duties of an American Citizenship was to obtain a position in the work field and that's exactly what Roosevelt wanted at that time. Back to the quote he announced at the business league, he didn't want the negroes to complain about their privilege to work but rather be honored to have this opportunity available to them and not take advantage of this privilege.  This corresponds to the 13th amendment and The New Deal. Roosevelt's New Deal was the 3 R's, relief, recovery, and reform. The New Deal was created to provide relief from the suffering of the Great Depression. He urged the negroes to work for two main reasons: to take advantage of the opportunities available to them and to strive to be economically equal to the white population.

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Theodore Roosevelt: Sixth Annual Message

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The American Presidency Project contains the most comprehensive collection of resources pertaining to the study of the President of the United States. Compiled by John Woolley and Gerhard Peters

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In August of 1910, Theodore Roosevelt told the African Americans that, “they should not whine about privileges they did not enjoy, but should plunge ahead and make the best of the opportunities they have.”  Roosevelt continued to say that there is no other country in this world where African Americans have progressed and achieved more then this one.  African Americans have freedom and are holding higher positions in jobs.  Another point made was that the white people are the African Americans best friends.  What that means is, the white people have jobs higher in power, in order for a person of color to reach a position of such, they need to make connections and appeal to the white people.  Roosevelt is trying to portray that regardless of what job a person holds, they still are working, and should make the most out of the situation.  The short video clip is from Roosevelt’s 1910 “The Man In The Arena” speech.  In this speech he talks about how success is not measured by the people who point out someone’s achievements or failures.  It’s about the people who are tenacious and work hard.  This embodies what Roosevelt was saying to the African Americans about making the best of the opportunities they receive.  Success is not accounted for by where one works or how much money a person makes.  It’s about dedication and the amount of effort the person strives for in the field of their work.  For example if a man is put into an arena, the circumstances are not favorable, but if that person works hard and strives for victory, they will have triumph.

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The Man in the Arena - Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

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A quote from "Citizenship in a Republic" (speech, 1910) by Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (1858-1919). Music & recitation by Charles Belfor. ● Want to hear more of my recitations? Click here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyqcwcqCwynJFoqTBs_9BuFKFYFQibmFv ● Want to hear more of my electronic music? Click here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyqcwcqCwynLScRgRwe-NbL2qqJDgzuUJ ● Want to hear more of my orchestral music?

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Former President Theodore Roosevelt returned to America in 1910 after travelling for fifteen months out of the United States.  Spending time travelling through Africa and Western Europe, Roosevelt spent time enlightening himself from outside influences.  When he finally landed in America, his first public speech was at a Convention for the National Negro Business League.  The sermon came after a time of Negro progression in the South, and great amounts of work had been done amongst the black population.  Still wanting more credit and more opportunity, mass amounts of people flooded in and packed the Hall. The crowd sang a slave song, a song that was sung in the happiest of times in black lives.  The leader of the group, Major Moorten, applauded the song and appropriated it. He exclaimed that there was no better time for that song to be sang.  Evidence of brighter times in black communities was shown through that song.  After this, Theodore Roosevelt stood in front of the crowd of over 1,500 working class African-Americans, and after a brief introduction from Booker T. Washington, Roosevelt began.  Roosevelt gave credit to the first black man to be appointed to high Federal Office, Charles W. Anderson.  By saying this, Roosevelt brought to attention the great progress that the black man had gained after his harsh and disadvantaged beginning.  Also, it also worked as evidence for his following statements about education, friendship, and hard work.  He gave the crowd credit for doing the work that was given in front of them, and for not whining. This showed that progress for the black population was apparent to powerful white men, which happened outside that particular room too.  Roosevelt touched on education following that.  “I don’t care how well educated a farmer is if he can’t till the soil. It matters not how lofty the emotions of the housewife are as she goes about the kitchen if she can’t cook”.  Roosevelt said this to encourage more Negroes to become educated, so they may show their white neighbors that they are self-respecting and hard-working. Roosevelt then went on to talk about the numbers of successful black establishments such as banks, stores, houses, and farms.  This alone showed the vast amount of progress that the black community underwent in the waning years after the Civil War.  Roosevelt implored community for blacks and whites near the end of his sermon.  He said, “And of course it is the privilege of the white man to render that aid.  For our motto should be, ‘All men up’ instead of ‘Some men down’”.  After that, he said that it is as much the white man’s responsibility to hold the black man accountable as it is the black man’s.   This was also evidence of the progress in not only America, but the South as well.  This was not always the common way of thinking.  Theodore Roosevelt gave that speech to help both sides of the war, to bridge a gap between races in America.  The importance of this sermon, the progress of black people, and the hard work of the people to make the progress happen, have not gone unnoticed.  Word Count: 526