Philiph Randolph

Throughout history people have earned a right to become significant and/or important people in history. Someone such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for example, was a key player in the role of blacks in America during the era of civil rights. Also, Cassius Clay and Stokely Carmichael were of significance during that time as well. However, A. Philip Randolph did not receive nearly as much recognition as the others did. Randolph deserves recognition for the things that he accomplished. Many would ask why his story goes untold, or should he be considered a hero or significant figure in history. The following essay will outline Randolph's life and his involvement in the civil rights movement. This essay will also illustrate how Randolph paved the way for many famous civil rights activists that came after him.

It is safe to say that Randolph was the predecessor to people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for example. Randolph, a college educated man, maintained a job as a porter and a waiter in his earlier years. He was also the creator of a magazine known as The Messenger which later earned the name The Black Worker. His magazine campaigned for black civil rights. During the First World War, the drafting of people for war was very common. Especially since the black people of America wanted to earn the respect of their white neighbors. So, in an effort to earn the respect of whites, more blacks in America signed up for the draft. However, Randolph was against the draft and was therefore arrested for violating the Espionage Act which was an act passed by congress that would fine a person $20,000 and 20 years imprisonment for interfering with the recruiting of troops. Randolph was against the draft because he felt that it was a violation of one's constitutional rights, also because he was against blacks joining the army. For this offense, he was arrested also for treason.

Randolph was a member of the socialist party and ran for political office a few times while in New York. He was never elected, but the effort was respected by many. While displaying strong leadership skills in the area of politics, he was a leader in other ways as well. He aided in organizing black workers in cinemas, laundries, and clothing factories which led to his presidency over the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP). It took a few years, but Randolph built the first successful black trade union from the BSCP. The BSCP were members of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) but in protest against its failure to fight discrimination in its ranks, Randolph took his union into the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). Randolph sought to protect the integrity of his union as well as its members.

By 1940, Randolph had also assisted in the establishment and development of the Union for Democratic Action (UDA). Since Adolf Hitler was a rising power during that era, the UDA was organized so that Americans could assist in defeating fascism. Shortly after the creation of the UDA, Randolph had threatened to arrange a March on Washington which would have served as a protest against discrimination in the defense industries. By May of 1941, Randolph had issued a "Call to Negro America to March on Washington for Jobs and