Starting in 1909, Pullman porters tried unsuccessfully to organize a labor union. Their break finally came in 1925, when A. Philip Randolph helped form the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Randolph and the BSCP were met with strong opposition from the Pullman Company but ultimately succeeded in forming the first all-black labor union in 1937. Soon after winning the labor battle, Randolph and the porters shifted their attention to the struggle for civil rights, and remained at the forefront through the 1960s.
The story of the Pullman porters is quintessentially American, and it reminds us of the towering efforts of ordinary men and women who helped shape our nation’s history.
Pullman Porters: From Service to Civil Rights, is the first in a series of National Railroad Museum projects that will introduce visitors and students to a broader discussion of the impact of rail upon American history and culture. This museum exhibit will go beyond the mere discussion of railroad hardware but rather will focus on the fundamental cultural, economic, political and intellectual trends that shaped the labor and civil rights movements of the Twentieth Century.
Copyright 2008 :: National Railroad Museum