What Should We Do?
August 25, 1894
Summary
The Planet urges its reader to use their money, and to prioritize family and education in their spending.
Transcription
We should certainly be more frugal as a race. The policy of living for today and careless as to what tomorrow is to bring forth should and must be abandoned.
Good wages with many of us mean simply a good time. The money comes easy and we seem determined that it shall go the same way.
We must lay up during the days of prosperity for those of adversity.
Neither health nor life is promised us and when this Frame of ours is racked by disease as one of the results of our indiscretions we will find away in sorrow over lost opportunities and shed tears of bitter regret over amounts which we foolishly threw away. Some of us do not buy the necessities of life. All of our money go in frolic. We are the creatures of our appetite and frolicsome impulses cause us to spend dollars as we would pennies, believing that we would make more again next week. this is one of the legacies of slavery, and we cannot too soon get rid of it.
We must live economical, avoid debasing practices, by land, clothe the children, teaching them that dress does not make the man or the woman but rather good manners and upright habits.
Let education be given a front seat and the trade equal accommodation. If we heed these instructions, all will be well. If we ignore them, years of misery will be the fate of our cells and our offspring.
Good wages with many of us mean simply a good time. The money comes easy and we seem determined that it shall go the same way.
We must lay up during the days of prosperity for those of adversity.
Neither health nor life is promised us and when this Frame of ours is racked by disease as one of the results of our indiscretions we will find away in sorrow over lost opportunities and shed tears of bitter regret over amounts which we foolishly threw away. Some of us do not buy the necessities of life. All of our money go in frolic. We are the creatures of our appetite and frolicsome impulses cause us to spend dollars as we would pennies, believing that we would make more again next week. this is one of the legacies of slavery, and we cannot too soon get rid of it.
We must live economical, avoid debasing practices, by land, clothe the children, teaching them that dress does not make the man or the woman but rather good manners and upright habits.
Let education be given a front seat and the trade equal accommodation. If we heed these instructions, all will be well. If we ignore them, years of misery will be the fate of our cells and our offspring.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Right Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Carlos Serrano
Citation
“What Should We Do?,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed February 15, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1503.