
Where was A. Philip Randolph born?
Crescent City, FLA. Philip Randolph / Place of birthAsa Philip Randolph was born April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, Fla., the second son of the Rev. James William Randolph, a tailor and ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and Elizabeth Robinson Randolph, a skilled seamstress.
What was A. Philip Randolph best known for?
A. Philip Randolph was a labor leader and civil rights activist who founded the nation's first major Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925. In the 1930s, his organizing efforts helped end both racial discrimination in defense industries and segregation in the U.S. armed forces.
What role did A. Philip Randolph play during ww2?
In the 1940s, Randolph's abilities as an organizer had grown to such lengths that he became the driving force in ending racial discrimination in government defense factories and desegregating the armed forces, both done via presidential decree.
What does the A in A. Philip Randolph stand for?
Philip Randolph. American civil-rights activist.
Who was the father of the civil rights movement?
Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass has been called the father of the civil rights movement. He rose through determination, brilliance, and eloquence to shape the American nation. He was an abolitionist, human rights and women's rights activist, orator, author, journalist, publisher, and social reformer.
Who led the March on Washington?
Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
Which food was rationed after WWII but not during the war?
Read more in our online classroom. As World War II came to a close in 1945, so did the government's rationing program. By the end of that year, sugar was the only commodity still being rationed.
Who threatened a march on Washington?
Philip Randolph, the head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, threatened to lead a peaceful march of 10,000 African Americans on Washington, DC, to demand an end to racial segregation in the government, especially the military, and to demand greater equality in the hiring practices of defense industries.
Why should we march Randolph?
Philip Randolph document his protests against segregation, particularly in the armed forces and defense industries during the war. Randolph led a successful movement during World War II to end segregation in defense industries by threatening to bring thousands of blacks to protest in Washington, D. C., in 1941.
What was A. Philip Randolph best known for quizlet?
Philip Randolph best known for? Organizing a union for sleeping car porters. Economic development in the 1920s encouraged which group to enter the American workforce in greater numbers?
What was Randolph calling for?
On Jan. 25, 1941, A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union, made the official call for a march on Washington, with the demand to end segregation in defense industries.
What happened eighteen days after the March on Washington?
What happened at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham 18 days after the March on Washington? A bomb exploded where lots of children were gathered to plan things.
What was A. Philip Randolph best known for quizlet?
Philip Randolph best known for? Organizing a union for sleeping car porters. Economic development in the 1920s encouraged which group to enter the American workforce in greater numbers?
WHO WAS A. Philip Randolph and what is his legacy?
Philip Randolph was a champion for the rights of all workers, especially African American workers. In 1925, he organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters to gain recognition for sleeping car porters at the Pullman Co. These porters were African Americans who previously had no union representation.
Why was the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters important?
The combination of racism and inhumane working conditions led to calls for unionization. In 1935, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters became the first African American union organization to be granted membership into the America Federation of Labor.
Why did A. Philip Randolph?
Asa Philip Randolph (April 15, 1889 – May 16, 1979) was an American labor unionist and civil rights activist. In 1925, he organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first successful African-American led labor union....A. Philip RandolphSpouse(s)Lucille Campbell Green ( m. 1914)3 more rows
Who was Philip Randolph?
A. Philip Randolph was a labor leader and civil rights activist who founded the nation’s first major Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925. In the 1930s, his organizing efforts helped end both racial discrimination in defense industries and segregation in the U.S. armed forces. Randolph was also a principal organizer of the March on Washington in 1963, which paved the way for passage of the Civil Rights Act the following year.
Where did Randolph live?
Inspired by the writings of leading Black intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois, Randolph moved to New York City in 1911. He settled in Harlem , where he found a job working on the switchboard in an apartment building and enrolled in courses at the City College of New York. Randolph’s devotion to the socialist cause led to a job working for the Brotherhood of Labor, an employment agency for Black workers. In 1914, he married Lucille Green, a young widow and Howard University graduate who owned a beauty salon in the building where he worked.
What did Randolph do during the day?
Working during the day and studying at the City College at night, Randolph broadened his intellectual horizons as he read modern economic and political writers, including Marx. This theoretical grounding predisposed him to view the black working class, not the black elite, as the major hope for black progress.
When did Randolph join the AFL?
After the AFL merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO, Randolph joined the organization’s executive council; he became one of its first two Black vice presidents in 1957.
What was Randolph's goal?
Although his goal was overshadowed by the demands of the southern civil rights movement, Randolph’s understanding of the economic needs of blacks predated the riots that drew the nation’s attention to them. He also became a critic of the black power movement, which he believed was programmatically bankrupt.
Who is Philip Randolph?
Philip Randolph, in full Asa Philip Randolph, (born April 15, 1889, Crescent City, Florida, U.S.—died May 16, 1979, New York, New York), trade unionist and civil-rights leader who was an influential figure in the struggle for justice and equality for African Americans. The son of a Methodist minister, ...
What was Randolph's role in the March on Washington?
In an echo of his activities of 1941, Randolph was a director of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which brought more than 200,000 persons to the capital on August 28, 1963, to demonstrate support for civil rights for Blacks.
Where was Philip Randolph born?
Early Years. A. Philip Randolph was born in Crescent City, Florida, but grew up in Jacksonville. His father, the Rev. James William Randolph, was a tailor and minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church; his mother, Elizabeth Robinson Randolph, was a seamstress. Randolph also had an older brother named James.
How old was Philip Randolph when he died?
A. Philip Randolph died on May 16, 1979, in New York City. He was 90 years old.
What did Randolph do for Pullman?
Starting In 1925, Randolph spent a decade fighting for the unionization of the Pullman porters, the Black men who worked as baggage handlers and wait staff in the sleeping cars of trains. Randolph not only knew a great deal about unions, but he also did not work for the Pullman Company, which manufactured most of the railroad cars in the US during the first half of the 1900s. Since he did not have to fear that Pullman would retaliate against him for organizing, the porters thought he’d be a suitable representative for them. In 1935, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters finally formed, a huge victory. No African American labor union had been organized before.
What did Randolph do to help black people?
This meant that African American employees in this sector could be excluded from jobs based on race or paid unfairly. So, Randolph asked African Americans to march in Washington, D.C, to protest the president’s inaction against discrimination. Tens of thousands of Black people were prepared to take to the streets of the nation’s capital until the president changed his mind. This forced Roosevelt to take action, which he did by signing an executive order on June 25, 1941. Roosevelt also established the Fair Employment Practices Commission to see his order through.
What did Randolph do in the 1960s?
And in 1960, Randolph founded an organization exclusively focused on Black workers’ rights.
How old was Randolph when he left the AFL-CIO?
In 1964, Randolph turned 75 years old, but he continued being singled out for his advocacy work on behalf of African Americans. That year, President Lyndon Johnson honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And in 1968, Randolph presided over the new A. Philip Randolph Institute, which works to garner African American support of trade unions. During this time, Randolph kept his position on the AFL-CIO Executive Council, leaving the role in 1974.
Why did Randolph leave high school?
Four years after high school, Randolph moved to New York City with the hope of becoming an actor, but he gave up on his dream because his parents disapproved . Inspired by W.E.B. DuBois ’ book “The Souls of Black Folk,” which explored African American identity, Randolph began to focus on sociopolitical issues.
Who Was A. Philip Randolph?
A. Philip Randolph was a labor leader and social activist. During World War I, Randolph tried to unionize African American shipyard workers and elevator operators, and co-launched a magazine designed to encourage demand for higher wages. He later founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, which by 1937 would become the first official African American labor union. In the 1940s, Randolph's abilities as an organizer had grown to such lengths that he became the driving force in ending racial discrimination in government defense factories and desegregating the armed forces, both done via presidential decree. Becoming involved in additional civil rights work, he was a principal organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.
Where was Randolph born?
Early Life and Background. Randolph was born Asa Philip Randolph on April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, Florida. He was the second son of James Randolph, a Methodist minister, and his wife, Elizabeth, both of whom were staunch supporters of equal rights for African Americans and general human rights. In 1891, the Randolph family moved ...
Why did Randolph leave the Brotherhood?
Suffering from a heart condition and high blood pressure, Randolph resigned from his more than 40-year tenure as president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1968. He also retired from public life. After being mugged by three assailants, he moved from Harlem to New York City's Chelsea neighborhood. Never having been one to be concerned with material acquisitions or the ownership of property, Randolph spent the next few years writing his autobiography until his health worsened, forcing him to stop.
What was Randolph's first political move?
In 1912, Randolph made one of his earliest significant political moves when he founded an employment agency called the Brotherhood of Labor with Chandler Owen—a Columbia University law student who shared Randolph's socialist political views—as a means of organizing Black workers.
What did Randolph do in 1912?
In 1912, Randolph made one of his earliest significant political moves when he founded an employment agency called the Brotherhood of Labor with Chandler Owen—a Columbia University law student who shared Randolph's socialist political views—as a means of organizing Black workers. He began his efforts when, while working as a waiter on a coastal steamship, he organized a rally against their poor living conditions .
Why did Randolph organize mass protests?
Mass Protest Against Federal Policies. During the 1940s, Randolph twice used mass protests as a means of influencing the policies of the federal government. Following the United States' entrance into World War II, he planned a march on Washington to protest discrimination in the war industry workforce.
Why did Randolph leave the AFL?
Randolph withdrew the union from the AFL the following year, however, in protest of ongoing discrimination within the organization , and then turned his attention toward the federal government.
What was Randolph's most famous award?
Awards & Achievements. He was awarded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Spingarn Medal in 1942. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented Randolph with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in September 1964. He was named Humanist of the Year in 1970 by the American Humanist Association.
Why was the National Brotherhood of Workers of America dissolved?
The union, however, had to be dissolved in 1921 due to the pressure of the American Federation of Labor.
When did Philip Randolph die?
He died on May 16, 1979 at the ripe old age of 90. The A. Philip Randolph Career Academy in Philadelphia, and the A. Philip Randolph Career and Technician Center in Detroit are named in his honor.
Who was Chandler Owen?
Along with another activist, Chandler Owen, he founded an employment agency for blacks in order to boost their chances of getting meaningful employment. He organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a predominantly black labor union.
Who gave the I Have A Dream speech?
In 1963, he headed The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at which Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech.
Did Lucille Campbell Green have children?
His wife was supportive of his activism and earned enough money to support them both, leaving him with ample time to devote to his socialist activities. They did not have any children.
What is Randolph's legacy?
Legacy. The story of Randolph's career reads like a history of the struggles for unionization (creating trade unions) and civil rights in this century. He lent his voice to each struggle and enhanced the development of democracy (government by the people) and equality in America.
What did Randolph believe about the African American?
Randolph's belief that the African American can never be politically free until he was economically secure led him to become the foremost supporter of the full integration of black workers into the American trade union movement (bringing blacks into the ranks of trade unions, which fight for the rights of workers).
What was Randolph's purpose in the 1963 March on Washington?
In August 1963, Randolph organized the March on Washington, D.C., fighting for jobs and freedom.
What was Randolph's proposal to eliminate poverty?
And in 1966, at the White House conference "To Fulfill These Rights," he proposed a ten-year program called a "Freedom Budget" which would eliminate poverty for all Americans regardless of race.
Where was Asa Phillip Randolph born?
Asa Phillip Randolph was born in Crescent City, Florida, the second son of the Rev. James William Randolph, a tailor and minister in an African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Elizabeth Robinson Randolph, a skilled seamstress. In 1891, the family moved to Jacksonville, Florida, which had a thriving, established Black community. From his father, Randolph learned that color was less important than a person's character and conduct. From his mother, he learned the importance of education and of defending oneself physically against those who would seek to hurt one or one's family, if necessary. Randolph remembered vividly the night his mother sat in the front room of their house with a loaded shotgun across her lap, while his father tucked a pistol under his coat and went off to prevent a mob from lynching a man at the local county jail.
What did Randolph do in 1913?
In 1913 Randolph courted and married Mrs. Lucille Campbell Green, a widow, Howard University graduate, and entrepreneur who shared his socialist politics. The couple had no children. In New York, Randolph became familiar with socialism and the ideologies espoused by the Industrial Workers of the World. He met Columbia University Law student Chandler Owen, and the two developed a synthesis of Marxist economics and the sociological ideas of Lester Frank Ward, arguing that people could only be free if not subject to economic deprivation. At this point, Randolph developed what would become his distinctive form of civil rights activism, which emphasized the importance of collective action as a way for Black people to gain legal and economic equality. To this end, he and Owen opened an employment office in Harlem to provide job training for southern migrants and encourage them to join trade unions.

Early Years
An Activist in New York
- Four years after high school, Randolph moved to New York City with the hope of becoming an actor, but he gave up on his dream because his parents disapproved. Inspired by W.E.B. DuBois’ book “The Souls of Black Folk,” which explored African American identity, Randolph began to focus on sociopolitical issues. He also concentrated on his personal life, marrying a wealthy wid…
Taking on The White House
- Randolph parlayed his success with the Pullman porters into advocacy work for Black workers at the federal level. As World War II unfolded, President Franklin Roosevelt would not give an executive order to prohibit racial discrimination in the defense industry. This meant that African American employees in this sector could be excluded from jobs based on race or paid unfairly. S…
The March on Washington
- Mahatma Gandhi often gets the credit for influencing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders to take a nonviolent approach to activism, but A. Philip Randolph was an inspiration to civil rights activists, too. Without using violence, he’d ushered in the formation of the first major Black labor union and influenced two different presidents to sign executive orders to …
Later Years
- While 1963 was certainly a standout year for Randolph because of the March on Washington’s success, it was also a tragic one. His wife, Lucille, died that year. The couple had no children. In 1964, Randolph turned 75 years old, but he continued being singled out for his advocacy work on behalf of African Americans. That year, President Lyndon Johnsonhonored him with the Preside…
Sources
- “A. Philip Randolph.” AFL-CIO.
- “Hall of Honor Inductee: A. Philip Randolph.” US Department of Labor.