A. (ASA) PHILIP RANDOLPH WAS BORN APRIL 15, 1889 IN
CRESCENT CITY, FLORIDA, TO REVEREND JAMES
WILLIAM RANDOLPH AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH.
HE EXCELLED IN HIGH SCHOOL AT THE COOKMAN INSTITUTE,
WHEN THE FAMILY MOVED TO JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. WITH
LITTLE MONEY FOR COLLEGE, PHILIP MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY,
WHERE HE ACTED IN SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYS AND WORKED MENIAL
JOBS.
HE ALSO BEGAN TAKING CLASSES AT THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW
YORK, WHERE HE STUDIED POLITICS AND ECONOMICS, AND
JOINED THE SOCIALIST PARTY. HE AND A FRIEND
ESTABLISHED A RADICAL WEEKLY, CALLED THE MESSENGER,
WHICH FOCUSED ON ALLEGED INJUSTICES TOWARDS PEOPLE OF
COLOR.
WHEN THE UNITED STATES ENTERED WORLD WAR ONE, PHILIP
RANDOLPH URGED BLACK MEN NOT TO FIGHT IN THE WAR
BECAUSE, HE ARGUED, THEY DID NOT HAVE THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS
IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY. HE WAS ARRESTED AND RELEASED.
IN 1925, HE ORGANIZED A GROUP OF BLACK RAILROAD WORKERS
WHO CALLED THEMSELVES THE BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEPING CAR
PORTERS. HE LED THEM IN A FIGHT AGAINST THE POWERFUL
PULLMAN (RAILROAD) COMPANY FOR BETTER WAGES AND WORKING
CONDITIONS. AFTER TWELVE YEARS OF RESISTANCE, THE
PULLMAN COMPANY SIGNED A CONTRACT THAT PAID THE UNION
MEMBERS TWO MILLION DOLLARS AND GUARANTEED THEM OVERTIME
PAY. THE VICTORY GAVE PHILIP RANDOLPH MORE RECOGNITION
AS A NATIONAL NEGRO LABOR LEADER.
HE ALSO FOUGHT TO END RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE MILITARY. IN 1941,
DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, MR. RANDOLPH URGED AMERICAN
BLACK MEN TO STAY OUT OF THE WAR UNLESS THE PRESIDENT
GUARANTEED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BETTER JOB
OPPORTUNITIES. HE THREATENED TO LEAD THOUSANDS OF
NEGROES TO WASHINGTON IN PROTEST. FACING THE LIKELIHOOD
OF BEING EMBARRASSED BY THEM, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN
ROOSEVELT SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT CALLED FOR AN
END TO DISCRIMINATION IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE
DEFENSE INDUSTRIES.
IN 1948, PHILIP RANDOLPH AGAIN THREATENED TO MARCH
ON WASHINGTON WHEN PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN WAS SLOW TO
ADMIT BLACKS INTO THE PEACETIME MILITARY. FACING AN
UPCOMING ELECTION BID AND NEEDING THE BLACK VOTES,
PRESIDENT TRUMAN SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT
INTEGRATED AFRICAN-AMERICANS INTO THE REGULAR U-S
MILITARY.
ON AUGUST 28TH, 1963, A. PHILIP RANDOLPH LED THE MARCH
ON WASHINGTON FOR JOBS AND FREEDOM, WHICH BROUGHT 250
THOUSAND PEOPLE TO THE NATION'S CAPITAL, AND WHERE THEY
HEARD MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DELIVER HIS FAMOUS "I
HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH.
AFTER SIXTY YEARS AS A NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS AND LABOR
ACTIVIST, A. PHILIP RANDOLPH DIED IN 1979. U-S
PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER LED HIS FUNERAL PROCESSION.
05-Feb-97
Source: Voice of America