We can not continue to ignore the contributions of Blood,Sweat,Lives and Brains that Black Americans have to building The Railroad. My first nominee is A Phillip Randolph who founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters who was the largest Black Union at the time of 19,000 members. His statue is at Back Bay Station in Boston while often ignored he is as big as a giant champion of Labor as Walter Reuther of the UAW and Jimmy Hoffa was that of the Teamsters. His legacy lives on in the A.Phillip Randolf Instittute for Labor http://www.apri.org/about-us.html and the beginings of the Black Middle Class
https://live.staticflickr.com/3870/14551861092_0062435464_b.jpg
By the way Back Bay is often a damp drafty cold miserable station that is a shadow of its former glory unfit for a king. Last updated in 1970s somethinghttp://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/69812.aspx?sortorder=desc-
Considering the many and important contributions of people of color, and African Americans in particular, it is interesting that there are so few articles about them either in Trains or here in these forums. Then again, when I stand in a photo line for NKP 765 to come by, there might be only one or two such faces among a few hundred others. Railfanning is a white (guy) hobby. African Americans are about 13.5% of the American public and about .01% among railfan-dom.
I'm guessing that it was about 20 years ago that Trains featured a terrific article on the subject of railroads and Jim Crow. It was not only very readable, it was scholarly and packed with facts and examples. It was also devastating as an indictment of how daily life for so many American citizens was filled with humiliations that we today can hardly conceive of. I used to assign that article from Trains to my Advanced Placement United States History students and their essays reflecting on it were often both fascinating and moving.
If I'm not mistaken there is a statue of A. Philip Randolph in Washington Union Station as well as in Boston. As a railfan and as a student of American history I am glad for both. We can never hear enough about the common folks, the ordinary people who contributed to railroading in America. Railroad history isn't all about Vanderbilts, Goulds, Harrimans, Youngs, Van Sweringens and the like. We read enough about them. Let this February remind us of not only A. Philip Randolph, but "George," and John Henry, the many men on the track gangs and others who built, maintained, and stoked America's railroads, and even the women car cleaners at Sunnyside and elsewhere, especially when these fellow citizens and their families were discouraged or forbidden from riding in the "nice" cars, no matter how much money they had.
There's always been more to railroading than the contibutions and perceptions of white people, but sometimes that isn't obvious.
If you wonder why, I think you answered your own question.
Also let's not forget that it was Chinese men who built the Central Pacific, not Judah and Stanford & Co.
charlie hebdoAlso let's not forget that it was Chinese men who built the Central Pacific, not Judah and Stanford & Co.
And that contemporary prejudice on the part of much contemporary society valued most Asians no more than blacks ... in fact, treated them as a menace in the 1920s. You'd have to look past most of the sorry history of black experience to the Cherokee to find an example of what Roosevelt did to the Nisei.
We had a poster here years ago, penncentralblack, who would periodically comment on his experiences and thoughts. Perhaps we can interest him in posting on this thread to elevate it out of the borderline troll category.
I would find REAL Chinese Restuarants in in the middle of small towns out west and in the middle of Appaliacia like New Peking in Martinsburgh WV that have been in buinsness since 190something--https://goo.gl/maps/HniS4xXTuWTFXGdm8....There buisiest day would be Sunday when rements of blue laws would keep diners from being open on that day and many of then had Sunday Liquire Licences (or that the town fathers would just look the other way). They had a bottle of Myers Oringinal Dark Rum that had been on the shelf since 1960something along with a bottle of Scotch that has been on the shelf since 1950something. For the last 20 years there was a little chinese girl working away on a table on her homework everytime I would go in. Now that little girl is grown up and going away to George Washington Medical School and after her there is no one to take over...Sure they could sell it but the old traditions/taste might not be the same..Most of the waiters cooks are in there 50s/60s....The town of Martinsburgh WV has plans to retain the iconic storefront for whatever might take over.
New Peking Martinsburgh WV
New Peking Owners Martinsburg WV
I remember talking with a co-worker who asked me for a suggestion for a topic for her son for Black History Month. She was looking for someone not so well known and I suggested where my interest and Black History intersect: A. Philip Randolph.
CSSHEGEWISCHI suggested where my interest and Black History intersect: A. Philip Randolph.
Thank you for reminding me.
And the beat goes on: http://www.apri.org/
NKP guy Considering the many and important contributions of people of color, and African Americans in particular, it is interesting that there are so few articles about them either in Trains or here in these forums. Then again, when I stand in a photo line for NKP 765 to come by, there might be only one or two such faces among a few hundred others. Railfanning is a white (guy) hobby. African Americans are about 13.5% of the American public and about .01% among railfan-dom. I'm guessing that it was about 20 years ago that Trains featured a terrific article on the subject of railroads and Jim Crow. It was not only very readable, it was scholarly and packed with facts and examples. It was also devastating as an indictment of how daily life for so many American citizens was filled with humiliations that we today can hardly conceive of. I used to assign that article from Trains to my Advanced Placement United States History students and their essays reflecting on it were often both fascinating and moving. If I'm not mistaken there is a statue of A. Philip Randolph in Washington Union Station as well as in Boston. As a railfan and as a student of American history I am glad for both. We can never hear enough about the common folks, the ordinary people who contributed to railroading in America. Railroad history isn't all about Vanderbilts, Goulds, Harrimans, Youngs, Van Sweringens and the like. We read enough about them. Let this February remind us of not only A. Philip Randolph, but "George," and John Henry, the many men on the track gangs and others who built, maintained, and stoked America's railroads, and even the women car cleaners at Sunnyside and elsewhere, especially when these fellow citizens and their families were discouraged or forbidden from riding in the "nice" cars, no matter how much money they had. "...There's always been more to railroading than the contibutions and perceptions of white people, but sometimes that isn't obvious.."
"...There's always been more to railroading than the contibutions and perceptions of white people, but sometimes that isn't obvious.."
Thanks, 'NPK guy 'for the reminder! It is fitting, I think to remember, at this time that, "...Those who do not remember their history. are doomed to repeat it..."{paraphrased}
For several decades after the Civil War, our populations, of black and white citizens road in railroad cars that were not partitioned. That changed around the , 1900's. In Virginia, legislation that segregated railroad transport was mandated by the State legislative body.
see link @ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/segregated-railway-car-offers-visceral-reminder-jim-crow-era-180959383/
TrainOrders.com, one can find this information: "Jim Crow coaches? Where and when?" Thread linked @ https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,561516
As well, as this Thread, from a Trains Forum of 2003; on "Preserved 'Jim Crow' coaches": Linked @ http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/740/t/173305.aspx
Donot forget the 1960 campaign of the L&N's locomotive " General' and its accompaning Jim Crow Coach #665 {Called by some A 'Combine' Car...}
And then there was "Plessy" "...On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy, a shoemaker, was jailed for sitting in a “white” car on the East Louisiana Railroad. Though demographically he was defined as one-eighths black and seven-eighths white, he was required to sit in the “colored” car under the so-called “one drop” rule — one drop of “black” blood makes you “colored.”..." From this following linked article @ https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/segregated-colored-railroad-car-rolls-into-michigan-police-station-wcz/
Have a book on the Atlantic Coast Line and their post War passenger operations. In several of the pictures in the 'locals' section of the book, there are pictures of a number of two passenger car locals - one for whites and one for blacks - the car fir whites always appeared to be newer and better equipped. There was one picture of a Jim Crow combine; one end of the car for whites, the other end of the car for blacks and the space in the middle for baggage.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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