A&M 1530A. Philip Randolph, Civil Rights and Labor Leader, Papers, 1919-37 A&M 1530Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History CenterWest Virginia and Regional History Center

1549 University Ave. P.O. Box 6069 Morgantown, WV 26506-6069Business Number: 304-293-3536wvrhcref@westvirginia.libanswers.comURL:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-08-30 07:57:40 -0400.EnglishDescribing Archives: A Content Standard West Virginia and Regional History Center A. Philip Randolph, Civil Rights and Labor Leader, Papers Randolph, A. Philip (Asa Philip), 1889-1979 A&M 1530 Archival Resource Key Previous Archival Resource Key Previous Archival Resource Key Previous Archival Resource Key /repositories/2/resources/4876 0 Linear Feet Summary: 45 pages 1919-1937 Papers of Asa Philip Randolph, a prominent civil rights and labor leader, who founded and edited The Messenger, an influential black radical labor newspaper of the 1920s and who organized and presided over the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the only independent, viable black trade union in the American labor movement. Much of the correspondence deals with raising subscriptions for The Messenger, gaining an International Charter as an independent affiliate to the American Federation of Labor and the early organizing strike actions against the Pullman Company. This correspondence emphasizes the difficulties of convincing black workers of the feasibility of an independent fledgling black trade union; the necessity of organizing black workers for the benefit of the whole labor movement; and the challenge of maintaining jurisdictional independence from competing trade unions with predominantly white membership, such as the Hotel Workers union. These letters also reflect Randolph's desire to attain full civil rights for blacks. West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/ English Conditions Governing Access

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 African-Americans. SEE ALSO Coal miners - African Americans. Labor organization. Railroad workers. Unions. American Federation of Labor Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Ku Klux Klan (1915- ) National Urban League Randolph, A. Philip (Asa Philip), 1889-1979 Randolph, A. Philip (Asa Philip), 1889-1979