For Jobs and Freedom: Race and Labor in America Since 1865

The definitive collection of speeches and writings by the labor leader, civil rights activist and founder of The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

In 1925, A. Philip Randolph became the first president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, America’s first majority-Black labor union. It was a major achievement in a life dedicated to the causes of civil and workers’ rights. A leading voice in the struggle for social justice, his powerful words served as a bridge between African Americans and the labor movement.

This volume documents Randolph's life and work through his own writings. It includes more than seventy published and unpublished pieces drawn from libraries, manuscript collections, and newspapers. The book is organized thematically around Randolph’s most significant activities: dismantling workplace inequality, expanding civil rights, confronting racial segregation, and building international coalitions.

The editors provide a detailed biographical essay that helps to situate the speeches and writings collected in the book. In the absence of an autobiography, this volume offers the best available presentation of Randolph's ideas and arguments in his own words.

© 2014 The University Press of Kentucky (Ebook): 9780813146645

Release date

Ebook: April 23, 2014