The Pullman Porters(Circa 1865- December 31, 1968) were a group of predominately Black men hired to work as servers on railroad sleeping cars. Shortly after the Civil War, the entrepreneur George Pullman recruited formerly enslaved to provide primary services to passengers on trains traveling across the United States. Called porters the Pullman Company employees carried baggage, shined shoes and maintained the overnight accommodations of travelers. Though they were paid very low wages, the Pullman Porters earned a very good living through the cash they received from wealthy passengers “to insure prompt service” or tips. This steady employment allowed these workers to earn enough money to establish the basis of an emerging Black middle class. On August 25, 1925 more than 500 Pullman Porters gathered in Harlem, New York, to form the first Black American labor union. Organized by A. Philip Randolph the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was formed to demand higher salaries and better working conditions. Under this leadership the Pullman Porters set the stage for the emerging Civil Rights Movement.
https://www.nps.gov/pull/index.htm
The Joy Trip Project celebrates Black History Month. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American history.
Original illustration by Nate Taylor
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