Who were the driving forces behind the social and political change led by the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters? Learn about the historical background and significance of this post-war movement.
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Digital Exhibitions → Derailed: The History of Black Railway Porters in Canada → Theme: Notable Porters
This dramatic monologue portrays Charles Ernest Russell, a Senior Porter who is sent a letter from the civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph, to organize a Canadian chapter of The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Performed by Derick Agyemang.
In 1939, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) porter Charles Ernest Russell was brought before management in Montreal on the charge that he was sleeping on the job on a cross-Canada run. This was a major accusation that could lead to hefty demerit points that cumulatively could lead to his dismissal. Ironically, Russell was the head of the management-appointed Welfare Association that acted as an in-house union for CPR porters. When he went home, Barbados-born Russell wrote a letter to the leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in the United States, Asa Philip Randolph, asking him to come to Canada and organize Canadian porters in his newly established BSCP. This was the beginning of the fight to end segregation in Canada and would lead to meaningful change for the porters.
Who were the women who helped the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters organize for social and political change?
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How did railway porters organize and advocate for greater labour rights to the province? Learn about the lasting impact of their movement.
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How did a group of railway porters’ trip to Ottawa plant the seeds for Canadian multiculturalism? Learn about the lasting impact of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and their fight for rights.
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Meet George Pullman — the man at the centre of the offensive railway porters’ moniker.
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How did Black railway porters help create a Canadian culture?
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What were the working conditions of the Black railway porters and how were they segregated from white train passengers and white union workers?
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What were the daily activities of a Black railway porter?
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Learn about the experiences of Black Canadians in early Toronto and Canada.
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