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struggle4progress

(118,298 posts)
Sun Aug 16, 2015, 09:15 PM Aug 2015

A request for reading suggestions on AA organizers

I always admired Frederick Douglass as a great organizer and writer, and tried to read much of what he wrote, but I may not have a good grasp of some of the other great AA organizers: I had not realized, for example, the brilliance and tenacity of Ida Bell Wells-Barnett

I've been meaning to educate myself about A Philip Randolph but would appreciate specific suggestions about good sources on his life and work

Any suggestions for readings about other AA organizers?

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A request for reading suggestions on AA organizers (Original Post) struggle4progress Aug 2015 OP
May I suggest Charlotta Bass ? jaysunb Aug 2015 #1
Thanks. Charlotta Bass is somebody I should know more about struggle4progress Aug 2015 #2
re: A. Philip Randolph BumRushDaShow Aug 2015 #3
There are also plenty of books about him: I'm wondering which are especially good struggle4progress Aug 2015 #4
Unfortunately I haven't read any individual tomes on him yet BumRushDaShow Aug 2015 #5
Randolph would have been a major name for folk at the March of Washington: he had worked for decades struggle4progress Aug 2015 #6

jaysunb

(11,856 posts)
1. May I suggest Charlotta Bass ?
Mon Aug 17, 2015, 12:52 AM
Aug 2015

There have been many others, but you may want to look at her or Noble Drew Ali. I'm guessing you already are aware of Marcus Garvey of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

BumRushDaShow

(129,137 posts)
3. re: A. Philip Randolph
Tue Aug 18, 2015, 09:15 AM
Aug 2015

Was researching one thing for a post and found this - http://todayinclh.com/?event=a-philip-randolph-meets-with-fdr-in-white-house-protests-segregation-in-military

But the beauty of that link is that it has links to other activities that he was involved in but also has a link to this -

http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/presidentialrecordings/roosevelt

that has actual audio clips of FDR press conferences and meetings including a couple clips when he met with A. Philip Randoph. Notably a meeting clip -

"Office Conversation with A. Philip Randolph—ca. September 27, 1940"

[center]Description[/center]

A. Philip Randolph, the leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (the first African-American labor union) discusses the issue of African-Americans in the military with Roosevelt. Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy, is also included in the meeting.

WAV = http://web2.millercenter.org/fdr/audiovisual/whrecordings/corrected/fdr_10_1940_randolph_conversation_2.wav
MP3 = http://web2.millercenter.org/fdr/audiovisual/whrecordings/corrected/fdr_10_1940_randolph_conversation_2.mp3


Amazing. Clips like this from 75 years ago. On the internet. Don't have to travel to the Presidential Library or go to the National Archives, etc.

BumRushDaShow

(129,137 posts)
5. Unfortunately I haven't read any individual tomes on him yet
Tue Aug 18, 2015, 07:10 PM
Aug 2015

mainly chapters about him and other black historical figures in anthology-type books. But my mother (who would have been 85 this year), would talk about him all the time and how the Pullman Porters would transport black newspapers around the country to various cities (e.g., bringing the Pittsburgh Courier or Baltimore Afro-American here to Philly and taking the Philadelphia Tribune to other cities).

He was definitely a household name for me growing up and a mighty presence at and organizer of many events, notably the famous 1963 march along with Bayard Rustin. Randolph was the "elder" to the next generation - e.g., those like MLK (who was my mother's age group) who took up the mantle.

I am currently reading Sharon Ewell Foster's "The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Pt. 1: The Witnesses" (also have Pt. 2: The Testimony on my Kindle). They are historical/biographical novels but reportedly well-researched, and so far, Pt. 1 has been truly engrossing.

struggle4progress

(118,298 posts)
6. Randolph would have been a major name for folk at the March of Washington: he had worked for decades
Wed Aug 19, 2015, 07:48 AM
Aug 2015

to get that march to happen

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