FREE ESSAY ON PULLMAN PORTERS

PULLMAN PORTERS

Rachel Bates BLS 340
Movie Reaction Movie #1
Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle
This movie was about the Pullman Porters, which worked on the trains. In this time of
history traveling by trains was very popular for people. The train industry made a large
amount of money off of people traveling from city to city town-to-town by trains. This
period in history was known as the "age of steam". Along with people traveling their had
to be someone their to take their bags, serve them and assist them in their travel. These
people were known as Pullman Porters. This job was a highly respectable job because it
gave that person a certain status within their families, friends and the travelers.
Mostly African Americans performed this job. Mrs. Rosina Tucker, the wife of an
ex-Pullman Porte, narrated the movie. She discussed the trails, and tribulations that
these men had to go through.
When working as a Pullman Porter, these men were trusted with the belongings of the
travelers. Mostly the travelers were white people who still had the racist mentality but
for som reason they figured if these black men were educated enough to be Porters, then
they could trust them just a little. These Porters were paid low wages and worked for
tips. During these years blacks had to do a lot of smiling and "Uncle Tomming" to just
get appreciated by these white travelers. Not just that but whites had the superiority
feeling towards blacks. That was right up their ally to have blacks taking their luggage,
shinning their shoes, saying yes sir, yes mam and so on.
So after a long time of being mistreated paid poorly and discriminated against blacks
were fed up. As Pullman's they were not in the union nor had any other benefits that
whites had. So as a result the Pullmans organized a brother hood amongst the Pullmans so
the train industry. The brotherhoods was dedicated and believed in what they were trying
to do. The brotherhood set the foundation for organizing in America. They started to
fight against the labor laws in search for equality among the Pullman workers. Through
hard work and a long journey of fighting, organizing.