Brotherhood Of Sleeping Car Porter Research Paper

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters main goal was to help gain equal opportunities for African Americans in the workplace as well as in American society (Tuttle). They wanted to achieve higher wages, shorter working hours, self-determination, fairness, and dignity for African Americans (Morales). According to Morales, a porter would receive $25.00 for more than 80 hours of work, which was low, even for the early 1920s. Porters had to work over 400 in a month or for 11,000 miles, depending on which ever came first to receive any overtime pay. Asa Philip Randolph was approached by Ashley Totten, a union organizer and veteran Pullman porter, and was asked to lead the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Randolph reluctantly agreed (Morales).

Asa Philip Randolph was a key leader of the time who would encourage African American workers to fight for their rights as groups through the formation of unions. His background helped influence his actions. His goal in almost everything he did was to help African Americans gain economic power. His father was a minister and his family truly believed in a good education. Randolph graduated valedictorian of his Cookmar Institute class (Tuttle). In 1911 he moved to New York where he took night classes and earned money as an elevator operator. While in New York, his interest in social justice and politics grew. This led to the foundation of The Messenger with good friend, Chandler Owen. According to Tuttle, “The Messenger was the boldest and became an important voice for black equality.” Randolph rallied many different types of people including labor leaders, civil rights activists, and government figures in hopes of creating change. He brought together some of the most well know...

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...ng Car Porters took place on August 25, 1925 in Harlem, New York, after Randolph agreed and been elected to lead the group, which about 500 porters attended (p. 227). This was shortly followed by a fundraising tour in Chicago that was initiated by Randolph (Morales). In 1926, the porters were called into conference by the company which then ended with yet another pay raise for the porters making their monthly salary $72.50 (Valien, p. 227). On June 8, 1928, the Brotherhood planned on striking against the Pullman Company using tipping as a way to raise wages but it was called off. Instead, American Federation of Labor President suggested that they campaign to raise awareness in the general public. 1929 was the year when the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters entered into the mainstream (p. 228). They then filed a petition on October 16, 1930.

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