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property would help them maintain greater control over the direction of their lives.

"The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is certainly a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture."

- Benjamin E. Mays

Although their businesses were on a smaller scale than those of the whites in some cases, the ability of blacks to combine business skills with inventive thinking were critical to the success of their enterprises. William Powell, a craftsman, owned the Standard Repair Shop in Cass County, Michigan, where he repaired just about any kind of appliance or tool. In order to facilitate his work, and help him meet his customers' needs, Powell invented several mechanical implements.

Joseph Lee, in the 1880s, was the owner of three catering businesses. Bread crumbs was an item that he and his employees used constantly in various recipes. Making bread crumbs by hand was a slow, time consuming job that could have been better spent preparing the specialties desired by their customers. Lee worked at solving the problem and finally invented his own automatic, time-saving breadcrumb maker. Like other businessmen, Powell and Lee's goal was to perform tasks faster and more efficiently so they could win more customers and increase profits.

Blacks Encounter Opposition to Business Success

For any business to grow and expand, it should have access to the largest possible consumer market. Every entrepreneur wants to reach as many potential customers as possible. Throughout the period of  ...

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