A. Philip Randolph

Description

A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) was an influential African-American civil rights leader and labor organizer. He was the founder and president of the first black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP). Randolph was a major force in the civil rights movement, leading protests against segregation and employment discrimination in the 1950s and 60s.

Randolph was born in Crescent City, Florida, to immigrants from the Bahamas. He became involved in the labor movement early on, working as a waiter in a Pullman dining car before joining the BSCP in 1925. He was a tireless advocate for the rights of African-American workers, pushing for better wages and working conditions.

In 1941, Randolph threatened to lead a mass march on Washington, D.C. to protest the exclusion of African-Americans from the defense industries. The march was eventually called off when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order banning discrimination in defense industries.

Randolph was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War and an advocate for the rights of women and gays. He was also a major figure in the struggle for economic and social justice, fighting for higher wages and better working conditions for all workers.

In 1969, Randolph was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. He was a lifelong advocate for the rights of African-Americans and all people, and his legacy is still felt today.