Historical Profile: A. Philip Randolph

Asa Philip Randolph (1889-1979) was an influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He is often overshadowed by people such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. However, Randolph played an integral role in advancing civil rights in the U.S. Randolph was born on April 15, 1889 in Crescent City Florida. Randolph's mother, Elizabeth was a seamstress and his father, James, was a minister. Randolph was the founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a labor union composed of African American Pullman Porters. Pullman Porters were African American men who worked as servers and waiters on trains. The Pullman Company was one of the largest employers of African Americans in the 1920s and 1930s. A. Philip Randolph also helped organize the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Randolph has been recognized in several ways for his dedication to civil rights. He was one of America’s greatest civil rights advocates. On February 3, 1989, the United States Postal Service issued a 25 cent postage stamp bearing Randolph’s portrait with three Pullman Porters. Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida is the home of a permanent exhibit focusing on Randolph’s life. At Union Station in Washington D.C. and also at Back Bay Station in Boston, Massachusetts, there are statues of A. Philip Randolph. At Back Bay Station there is also an informative display about the history of the Pullman Porters. In 1986, Tina Allen – a professional sculptor, built the 9 ½ foot statue of Randolph located in Boston.

There is a plaque that is on display in the lobby area of Back Bay station. The plaque reads: "A. Philip Randolph April 15, 1889 - May 16, 1979, Founding President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and lifelong civil rights advocate whose tireless efforts and outstanding leadership assured secure railroad employment and quality of life for countless Afro-American railroad employees, many of whom worked at Back Bay Station and settled in the South End and Roxbury, adding stability to these neigborhoods." - Dedicated by Governor Michael S. Dukakis, October 14, 1987, Mass Bay Transportation Authority.

The following quote appears at the base of the statue of A. Philip Randolph at Back Bay Station: “Salvation for a race, nation, or class must come from within. Freedom is never granted; It is won. Justice is never given; It is exacted. Freedom and justice must be struggled for by the oppressed of all lands and races, and the struggle must be continuous, for freedom is never a final fact, but a continuing evolving process to higher and higher levels of human, social, economic and political and religious relationships.”