Footsteps articles from January 2002

Footsteps archives from January 2002

Working on the railroad.(1964 Civil Rights Act opened railroad employment to African Americans)
January 1, 2002... The railway industry in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s required a large labor force of skilled and unskilled workers. At the top of the job ladder stood the locomotive engineer and the conductor. The engineer was...

Luxury along the tracks.(history of rail travel, and railroad inventions by African Americans)
January 1, 2002... Much publicity was given to Pullman train cars, but the tracks on which they became famous had their story as well. Although railroad companies began laying tracks between big cities on the East Coast around 1828, the idea of laying tracks...

Five-star accommodations.(Pullman cars provided luxury travel for rail passengers)
January 1, 2002... Walking down the aisle of a Pullman sleeping car at night was a little like walking between two rows of bunk beds, each hidden by its own thick green curtain. That may not sound luxurious to you, but consider this: Have you ever tried to sleep...

A life with few thrills.(many African Americans employed by the Pullman Palace Car Company)
January 1, 2002... When the Pullman Palace Car Company was formed in 1867, it began a tradition of service that relied on the efforts of its black porters. Only a few years before, the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed and the 13th Amendment to the...

Be a lizard scorcher.(railroad food)(includes recipe for Bread and Butter Pudding)(Recipe)
January 1, 2002... The sound of chimes beckoned passengers to the dining car. Crisp linens, gleaming china, and goblets filled with water from crystal pitchers all hinted at the dining pleasures to come. In the cramped kitchen quarters, lizard scorchers were busy...

The porters stand together.(formation of the union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Higher wages. Shorter working hours. Self-determination. Fairness. Dignity. These were the goals of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP). Since 1900, various groups of railroad porters had tried to form a union, but the rich and...

A place at the table.(winning acceptance for the formation of the union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters)
January 1, 2002... When five Pullman porters set out in 1925 to organize themselves into a union to fight for better wages and working conditions, few would have guessed that they would eventually succeed. As far as the larger white community was concerned,...

More than a labor leader.(Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters' president Asa Philip Randolph)
January 1, 2002... Asa Philip Randolph, the president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) for four decades, was more than a labor leader. He also founded a magazine, led the movement to desegregate wartime industry during World War II, and...

Just look for the `red cap'.(railroad baggage handlers, or 'red caps,' form a union)
January 1, 2002... Imagine arriving ata crowded railroad station with several large, extremely heavy suitcases or trunks. Imagine rushing across the station to catch a train about to leave, or getting off a packed passenger car and trying to find friends, family,...

The women behind the union.(the Ladies Auxiliary supported the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union)
January 1, 2002... Made up mostly of wives of Pullman porters, the Ladies Auxiliary was a chief source of support for the men who struggled to form the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP). Members of the auxiliary also became involved with youth...

The union blazes a path for civil rights.(the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union)
January 1, 2002... From the beginning, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) forged its own distinct image and methods. In 1926, the year after its founding, the BSCP formed a Citizens Committee to bring together BSCP organizers, Chicago clubwomen,...

Racism in other unions.(leadership of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union)
January 1, 2002... To succeed in his efforts to improve the wages and working conditions of railroad porters, Randolph knew he needed the help of larger unions. But the year was 1925, and, as leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), he faced a...

A victory for fair employment?(Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People demand fair employment practices at the beginning of World War II)
January 1, 2002... As the United States prepared to enter World War II, the American economy was recovering from the severe depression that struck in the 1930s. By the early 1940s, the defense build-up had expanded industrial production and sharply reduced...

An interview with Charles Vert Willie. (Reflections And Memories).
January 1, 2002... A Professor at Harvard University and the author of 24 books, Dr. Charles Vert Willie grew up in Texas. His father worked as a Pullman porter for most of his life. In an interview, Dr. Willie recalled what the job meant to his father. My...

He's the real McCoy.(Elijah McCoy)
January 1, 2002... Did you ever hear the expression "It's the real McCoy!" You might be interested to learn that the "real" McCoy was an African American inventor named Elijah McCoy. McCoy was born in 1843 in Colchester, Ontario, Canada. His parents, George...

The A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum. (At The Museum).
January 1, 2002... Welcome to the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum. Founded in 1995 by Lyn Hughes, this museum is dedicated to encouraging an appreciation for the African American men who helped build the Pullman Palace Car Company and the town of Pullman...

Your pages.(Poem)
January 1, 2002... African American Girl She sits alone and thinks, The rest of the world blocked off, Her thoughtful gaze penetrates Into people's mind and eye. Hands resting idly on her chin, Fingers idly brushing The...

Books. (More About).(books on Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters)
January 1, 2002... The following are excellent resource books on the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters: Brotherhoods of Color by Eric Arnesen (Harvard University Press, 2001) Dinner in the Diner by Will C. Hollister (Trans-Anglo Books, 1977) Miles...

Museums. (More About).(A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum)
January 1, 2002... The A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, Chicago, Illinois: For more information, call 773-928-3935. Depot Museum and Griffith Historical Park, Griffith, Indiana: Griffith was once an exchange point for five railroads: the Michigan...

On the net. (More About).(Web sites on pullman porters, railroad terms)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... For a wealth of information on Pullman porters and the Brotherhood (BSCP) with links to other sites, check out: www.networkchicago.com/chicagostories/pullman.htm For an in-depth biography of A. Philip Randolph and links to a variety of...

Footsteps index 2001.
January 1, 2002... JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001 ISBN 0382445732 Liberia--Africa's First Republic MARCH/APRIL 2001 ISBN 0382445740 Black Immigration to the United States MAY/JUNE 2001 ISBN 0382445749 American Negro Theatre SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2001 ISBN...