Work on sleeping cars
Porters assisted passengers, prepared sleeping accommodations, handled luggage, and provided service on overnight trains.
A demanding job
The work involved long hours, demanding service expectations, and historically low wages and difficult working conditions.
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Founded in 1925 under A. Philip Randolph, the Brotherhood became a major Black-led labor organization and helped advance both labor rights and civil rights.
A lasting legacy
Pullman porters connected railroad history with the broader story of Black employment, union organizing, migration, and social change.
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