A. Philip Randolph and Union Labor

A great leader who formed the first genuine Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and won improved status for Black workers in modern America. Advocating for the harmonization of skill advancement and racial equality, he directly petitioned the president to achieve the elimination of discrimination in defense industries (1941) and the abolition of segregation in the armed forces (1948). During the Cold War, he served as the de facto chief director alongside figures like Dr. King to lead the 1963 March on Washington, creating the decisive momentum for the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

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