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Social Movements Of Philip Randolph And The Civil Rights Movement

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There were several social movements in the historical backdrop of the United States. One movement that stood out the most is the civil rights movement. African Americans and whites alike battled for social equality against the bigotry of the American culture amid the mid twentieth century. Following years of struggle they at last were allowed flexibility and equivalent rights with the new amendments in the constitution. However, this didn’t stop them from being segregated. The south was completely against granting African Americans the rights they deserve.
Philip Randolph played an important role in the movement against discrimination. For a considerable length of time, Randolph, lead and organized the sleeping car union, where African …show more content…

Reading The Soles of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois, had influenced Randolph to join the fight for social equality (history.com). Unlike W.E.B. Du Bois, who moderately protested against the racial reconciliation, Philip Randolph accentuated on socialism and trade unionism. Du Bois argued that the “color line” was the main setback in the segregation of the blacks. However, Philip Randolph thought that the “common man” was the ultimate obstacle in reaching integration. In 1925, Randolph became the founder and general organizer of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP). It was the first labor organization led by African Americans (Black past.org). All the while the BSCP overtook the role of being a symbol of black advancements and it encouraged the ascent of challenging legislative issues in America regarding African Americans (Black past.org). Additionally, the BSCP became the roots of motivation and activism to African American groups. As a result of his role as the editorial manager of a radical magazine and a dynamic union, Randolph developed as a standout amongst the most noticeable representatives of the African American civil rights movement. This made him the leading black figure in the labor movement concerning blacks.
In 1935, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) Granted the BSCP an international charter which later led to the BSCP winning its first contract in 1937. Once an activist individual of the Socialist Party, he was the leader of the

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