Stenographic societies often took a progressive stance on race, celebrating the accomplishments of minorities. Certainly, there were exceptions — some groups protested the advancement of African Americans — but stenographers, in general, saw the increasing role of minorities as a sign of advancement.
The Shorthand Review published an article, July 1891, chronicling the success of African Americans, writing, “There are hundreds of young men and women holding similar positions in different parts of the country and commanding good salaries. Even in the South where the hellish prejudice prevents Afro-American youths from occupying ordinary clerical positions, they are often accepted as typewriters.”
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© 2018, Mark Adams. All rights reserved.