[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 190 (Tuesday, December 15, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H14894-H14896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING A. PHILIP RANDOLPH FOR HIS LIFELONG LEADERSHIP AND WORK TO 
                           END DISCRIMINATION

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 150) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that A. Philip Randolph should be recognized for his 
lifelong leadership and work to end discrimination and secure equal 
employment and labor opportunities for all Americans.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 150

       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was born April 15, 1889;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was in New York during the 
     height of the Harlem Renaissance and was a student in 
     politics and economics at City College, which served as the 
     intellectual center of the movement;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was the cofounder of The 
     Messenger in 1917, a widely read and respected magazine known 
     for its radical persuasion;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was the leader of the successful 
     movement to organize the Pullman Company (one of the most 
     powerful businesses in the Nation) which led to the formation 
     of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), an 
     organization that advanced the claims of African-Americans to 
     dignity, respect, and a decent livelihood;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was selected by the porters at 
     the Pullman Company as a representative because he was a good 
     orator and a tireless fighter for the rights of African-
     Americans and was dedicated to the porters' cause for over a 
     decade;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was able to gain an 
     international charter from the American Federation of Labor 
     (now AFL-CIO) after Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal legislation 
     forced the Pullman Company to negotiate with the Brotherhood, 
     and was able to successfully negotiate the first-ever 
     contract between a company and a black union, in 1937;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was one of the central figures 
     speaking out for African-American rights during the 1930s and 
     1940s and focused on labor and employment issues;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was a leader in the movement 
     challenging discrimination in defense industry jobs and used 
     the threat of a march on Washington as part of an effort to 
     lobby President Roosevelt to sign an executive order banning 
     discrimination within the Government and the defense 
     industries;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was, in 1947, a leader in the 
     movement to end segregation in the military and called for 
     African-Americans to refuse to register for the draft until 
     these practices were ended and was successful in this effort, 
     which saw President Truman issue an executive order barring 
     discrimination in the military on July 26, 1948;
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was the leading force behind the 
     March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and worked with many 
     old friends and foes of his earlier labor struggles to ensure 
     the success of the event, which took place on August 28, 
     1963, drew a crowd of over 250,000 people, and was the 
     occasion of a meeting with President Kennedy and Dr. Martin 
     Luther King, Jr.; and
       Whereas A. Philip Randolph died in 1979 as an elder 
     statesman of the civil rights movement, a much admired figure 
     and role model for the young people of this Nation: Now, 
     therefore, be it:
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that A. Philip Randolph should be recognized 
     for his lifelong leadership and work to end discrimination 
     and secure equal employment and labor opportunities for all 
     Americans.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cuellar). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Smith) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONYERS. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am especially pleased to rise in support of this 
resolution honoring the life and work of A. Philip Randolph, whom I 
have had the privilege of meeting and working with indirectly.
  I am pleased to be a cosponsor of the resolution with the chairman of 
the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), 
who introduced it.
  A. Philip Randolph was a towering figure in the movement for social 
justice in this country, particularly in the fields of labor and civil 
rights. He is principally noted for his efforts in organizing the 
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters on trains, porters who were all 
African Americans in the middle 20th century and earlier. There were 
nearly 10,000 of them who had never been unionized before. He was able 
to do that. Finally, he worked out a contract in 1937 with Pullman, and 
then went to the AFL-CIO where they were able to gain an international 
charter. That was his major contribution.
  Yet, to me, what was so important was the work that he did with Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., because it was he who, with Bayard Rustin, 
organized the march on Washington for jobs and freedom on August 28, 
1963. I was a lawyer who was at that march. It was the first one which 
drew over 200,000 people and which had a great effect on our moving to 
enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  There are books about him, but the story that I like to tell is about 
the time that he challenged President Roosevelt to end the 
desegregation in the military and in the military factories, which were 
the industries that were making war materials. In a historic meeting 
with President Roosevelt, President Roosevelt acknowledged the validity 
of his struggle, but then he said something prophetic. He said, Make me 
do it.
  Amazingly, Randolph, after a period of time, assembled a huge number 
of people to march on Washington. As they got ready to march, word came 
from the White House that the President would accede to his demand, and 
he gave an executive order banning racial discrimination in the 
government and in the factories. That has been told many times over.

                              {time}  1130

  I am indebted to the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. 
Randolph worked out of New York and I am hopeful that Chairman Rangel 
may have met him and knew him as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time and urge support for 
the resolution.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support House Resolution 150, which recognizes Asa 
Philip Randolph for his lifelong leadership and work to end 
discrimination and secure equal employment and labor opportunities for 
all Americans.
  Mr. Randolph was a leading champion of fairness in the 20th century. 
He is one of the most well-known trade unionists of his time and he 
helped found the modern civil rights movement.
  Mr. Randolph moved to the Harlem district of New York City in 1911, 
where he organized black voters in favor of labor rights. In 1917 he 
cofounded a magazine, The Messenger, calling for more positions for 
black Americans in the war industry and the Armed Forces.
  In 1925, Mr. Randolph organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car 
Porters. This was the first serious effort to form a labor institution 
for the employees of

[[Page H14895]]

the Pullman Company, which was one of America's most powerful companies 
and a major employer of black Americans. The Pullman Company later 
negotiated with the Brotherhood in 1935 and agreed to a contract with 
them in 1937, winning pay increases, shorter workweeks and overtime pay 
for their employees.
  In 1941, Mr. Randolph proposed a march on Washington to protest 
racial discrimination in war industries and to propose the 
desegregation of the American Armed Forces. The march was canceled 
after President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which 
called for an end to discrimination in defense industries and 
government on the basis of race, creed, or national origin.
  Mr. Randolph's nonviolent efforts led to the signing of another 
executive order on July 26, 1948, this time signed by President Truman 
to ban discrimination and segregation in the Armed Forces.
  In addition to these accomplishments, Mr. Randolph was an active 
participant in a number of organizations and causes, including the 
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, which he cofounded, and the 
Workmen's Circles. He also formed the A. Philip Randolph Institute for 
community leaders to study the causes of poverty.
  Mr. Randolph has been called ``the towering civil rights figure of 
the period'' in which he lived, ``the dean of American civil rights 
leaders'' and ``among the first leadership of the Labor movement.'' He 
fought for more than a half-century on behalf of the poor and deprived, 
securing rights not just for black workers but for employees of all 
races and nationalities.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the 
actions of the House of Representatives in recognizing the life and 
work of intellectual, activist and community organizer A. Philip 
Randolph. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I strongly 
support H. Res. 150, which provides Congress with an opportunity to 
recognize important issues such as civil rights, labor rights, and the 
struggle for racial equality, to which A. Philip Randolph devoted his 
life, and which continue to have relevance today. I encourage my 
colleagues to support this important resolution.
  A. Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889 in Crescent City, 
Florida. He was a student of politics and economics at City College 
during the Harlem Renaissance. In 1917, Randolph co-founded ``The 
Messenger,'' a widely respected political and literary magazine which 
campaigned against the horrors of lynching and segregation. Deeply 
concerned not only with African American rights, but also labor and 
employment issues, he organized a union of elevator operators in New 
York in the same year. In 1925 he organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping 
Car Porters, a labor union which advanced African American claims to 
respect, dignity and a decent livelihood. He used the threat of a march 
on Washington as part of a successful lobbying effort to abolish racial 
discrimination in the national defense industry which led President 
Roosevelt to sign Executive Order 8802, or the Fair Employment Act in 
1941--the first Federal Law to prohibit employment discrimination in 
the United States. In 1947, Randolph led a successful movement to end 
segregation in the armed forces, which prompted President Truman to 
issue Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948, establishing equality of 
treatment and opportunity in the Armed Services. In 1963, Randolph 
initiated and organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom 
where Martin Luther King, Jr. of my home State of Georgia delivered his 
``I Have a Dream'' speech, and which helped pass the Civil Rights Act 
of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  Throughout his life, A. Philip Randolph demonstrated the kind of 
moral courage worthy of our gratitude and support. His activism and his 
commitment to social justice consisted not in holding society to a 
moral standard that is external to it, but rather in demanding that 
society take seriously its own idea of freedom on which it 
intrinsically depends. Although much progress has been made since 
Randolph's death in 1979, the gap which he fought to overcome, between 
what we are and what we can be, between society and its potential, 
remains today as it did in his lifetime. His leadership in the civil 
rights movement and his lifelong efforts to secure equal labor 
opportunities for all Americans make him a positive role model, not 
only for young people, but for all of the citizens in this great 
Nation.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, no one can start a new beginning, 
but anyone can start today and make a new ending. A. Philip Randolph 
was one of the many to make a new ending for not just himself, but the 
world around him. A. Philip Randolph was a prominent twentieth-century 
African-American civil rights leader and the founder of both the March 
on Washington Movement and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a 
landmark for labor and particularly for African-American labor 
organizing. Inspired from the writing of W.E.B. Dubois, Souls of Black 
Folk; this graduate of Bethune-Cookman College and son of an A.M.E. 
preacher took his beliefs and made them manifest through serving 
others.
  Randolph had some experience in labor organization, having organized 
a union of elevator operators in New York City in 1917. In 1925 
Randolph organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This was 
the first serious effort to form a labor institution for the employees 
of the Pullman Company, which was a major employer of African-
Americans. With amendments to the Railway Labor Act in 1934, porters 
were granted rights under federal law, and membership in the 
Brotherhood jumped to more than 7,000. After years of bitter struggle, 
the Pullman Company finally began to negotiate with the Brotherhood in 
1935, and agreed to a contract with them in 1937, winning $2,000,000 in 
pay increases for employees, a shorter workweek, and overtime pay. 
Randolph maintained the Brotherhood's affiliation with the American 
Federation of Labor through the 1955 AFL-CIO merger.
  Randolph was also responsible for the organization of the March on 
Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963 with the help of 
Rustin and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is 
often attributed in part to the success of the March on Washington, 
where Black and White Americans stood united and witnessed King's ``I 
Have a Dream'' speech. As the U.S. civil rights movement gained 
momentum in the early 1960s and came to the forefront of the nation's 
consciousness, his rich baritone voice was often heard on television 
news programs addressing the nation on behalf of African-Americans 
engaged in the struggle for voting rights and an end to discrimination 
in public accommodations. He was also an active participant in many 
other organizations and causes, including the Workmen's Circle and 
others.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand before 
you today in support of H. Res. 150, expressing the sense of the House 
of Representatives that A. Philip Randolph should be recognized for his 
lifelong leadership and work to end discrimination and secure equal 
employment and labor opportunities for all Americans.
  A. Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, 
Florida. In 1917, Randolph co-founded The Messenger, a widely read and 
respected magazine known for its radical persuasion.
  Randolph was perhaps most widely known for his work advocating for 
the rights of workers, and working to end employment discrimination. 
Randolph worked tirelessly on behalf of African American workers in 
forming the ``Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters'' (BSCP), an 
organization designed to advance the claims of African Americans to 
dignity, respect and a decent livelihood. After Franklin Roosevelt's 
New Deal forced the Pullman Company to negotiate with the BSCP in 1937, 
Randolph successfully negotiated the first-ever contract between a 
company and a black union.
  Randolph became one of the most widely known spokespersons for the 
African American working class in America. In 1940, after Franklin 
Roosevelt refused to issue an executive order banning discrimination 
against black workers in the defense industry, Randolph called for 
100,000 African Americans to march on Washington, DC. Support for 
Randolph's march grew so wide that President Roosevelt was forced to 
issue an executive order on June 25, 1941 declaring ``there shall be no 
discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or 
government because of race, creed, color or national origin.''
  Randolph's legacy of working for labor opportunities and employment 
justice is alive and thriving today. In my home town of Houston, Texas, 
students at the University of Houston have carried on the torch of 
justice for laborers in founding the University of Houston Students 
Against Sweatshops. These students organized the largest boycott of 
modern student activism against Russell Athletic, due to labor 
violations in their factory in Honduras. Thanks to the student effort, 
Russell has recently agreed to meet worker demands and improve labor 
conditions for its 1200 workers.
  The above example is a testament to the lasting and widespread 
effects of Randolph's work. As a champion for African American 
laborers, Randolph was able to shape our nation's values on employment 
and equality. Today, students from all over the country, including my 
home state of Texas, have picked up the torch in support of labor 
rights worldwide.
  I ask my colleagues to stand with me in support of H. Res. 150.

[[Page H14896]]

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 150.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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