In 1925, Black rail workers formed a union to fight for their rights: The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids. Learn about Black porters and maids that provided first-class service to Whites-only passengers in Asheville throughout the mid-1900s.
Southern Railway Porters [28]
The American Railway Union, founded in 1893, fought for and won higher wages and shorter work days for its members. It also excluded Black people from membership. In 1925, Black rail workers formed a union to fight for their rights: The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids.
Pullman Company’s “sleeping car” trains hired Black porters and maids to provide first-class service to the Whites- only passengers. Their work days lasted at least 20 hours. Porters carried luggage, shined shoes, and entertained passengers. Maids provided caregiving and grooming to women, children, and elderly men.
The union won its first contract for its members in 1937. Asheville’s Pullman porters and maids became civic leaders. They invested their wages and time in their communities. From the 1930s to the 1960s, Asheville Pullman porters including Gus Morrison, John Gilliam, Fred Rogers, and William C. Burgan boosted Southside’s growth as a close- knit, thriving neighborhood. Luther S. Thomas was the president of the Asheville division of the union in the 1950s.
