Rising from the Rails

Posted on 27 August 2018 by Larry Tye

A lively and engaging chronicle that adds yet another dimension to the historical record The Boston GlobeWhen George Pullman began recruiting Southern blacks as porters in his luxurious new sleeping cars, the former slaves suffering under Jim Crow laws found his offer of a steady job and worldly experience irresistible They quickly signed up to serve as maid, waiter, concierge, nanny, and occasionally doctor and undertaker to cars full of white passengers, making the Pullman Company the largest employer of African Americans in the country by the 1920s.Drawing on extensive interviews with dozens of porters and their descendants, Larry Tye reconstructs the complicated world of the Pullman porter and the vital cultural, political, and economic roles they played as forerunners of the modern black middle class Rising from the Rails provides a lively and enlightening look at this important social phenomenon. Free Read [ Rising from the Rails ] By [ Larry Tye ] For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr This book discusses the Pullman porters and how they became the Black middle class They weretravelled than ordinary black folk of that era and also came into contact with a much wider diversity of people particularly if you compare them to share croppers in the Deep South They instilled a work ethic in their families sons could inherit the positions of their fathers There was a price to this as the author points out The Pullman porters hid behind a mask smiling and shining shoes f This book discusses the Pullman porters and how they became the Black middle class They weretravelled than ordinary black folk of that era and also came into contact with a much wider diversity of people particularly if you compare them to share croppers in the Deep South They instilled a work ethic in their families sons could inherit the positions of their fathers There was a price to this as t...My great grandfather, who died long before I was born, was a Pullman Porter I was so happy to find a book dedicated to the lives of these upstanding men, many of whom were the first to leave the farms in the South and went on to help create the black middle class Five starsReally enjoyed this book I thought it was well researched, particularly in light of the difficulty in finding living Pullman Porters and setting up opportunities for oral testimony history with them Its one of the particular joys of reading a history book when it covers something that is seemingly forgotten, and may only get a sentence, if that, in a normal history textbook The transition of African Americans who were slaves in the South to working on these luxury sleeping cars is fascinating Really enjoyed this book I thought it was well researched, particularly in light of the difficulty in finding living Pullman Porters and setting up opportunities for oral testimony history with them Its one of the particular joys of reading a history book when it covers something that is seemingly forgotten, and may only get a sentence, if that, in a normal history textbook The transition of African Americans who were slaves in the South to working on these luxury sleeping cars is fascinating, including everything from their status among themselves, with their individual communities, and as compared to larger society as well The book doesn t sugarcoat the life, and while the story is amazing, its also a sad reminder that nothing better was available to these men because of the color of their skin It was also interesting to read the impact the founding of the Porters Union had on other labor...Tye makes the case for the centrality of black Pullman sleeping car porters to the development of the black middle class, labour history, and the civil rights movement Lots I didn t know I found the writing a little dull but it seemed we...Upon seeing the documentary, Rising From The Rails, I immediately wanted to read the book that was associated Rarely is the history and significance of the Pullman Porter discussed and appreciated with American History This book personalizes the challenges, struggles, indignities, and successes experienced by these beautiful group of men and the other auxiliary groups including women and other minorities working for the railroad at the end of the 19th century and 20th century This book gives Upon seeing the documentary, Rising From The Rails, I immediately wanted to read the book that was associated Rarely is the history and significance of the Pullman Porter discussed and appreciated with American History This book personalizes the challenges, struggles, indignities, and successes experienced by these beautiful group of men and the other auxiliary groups including women and other minorities working for the railroad at the end of the 19th century and 20th century This book gives an abundance of history regarding the Pullman Company and the personalities of the founder, George Pullman and his successors Larry Tye, the author, does an amazing job of making sure one understands the times which shaped the world during that time peri...I enjoyed Rising from the Rails Pullman Porters and the Making of the Black Middle Class by Larry Tye I have been reading much about Pullman Porters and Tye s book is recent He covers some of the familiar ground, such as the nature of the work and the discrimination built into job We learn about the complexities of the work and what these men learn about negotiating in the White world Many men...I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the Pullman Porters The stories of organising a union in secrecy were fascinating and eye opening It s a shame, to say the least, that there was notabout the women working on the railroad but it was good to see how women were absolutely vital to the initial organising of the...Some months ago, several of my friends from my Red Hat group went to a train museum in Kentucky It was a really fun day and while we were there we watched a short film about the Pullman Porters who took care of the sleeper cars and their occupantstreating them to a luxurious experience while traveling Being a porter was an enviable job and basically led to amiddle class life for those who stayed with the job Unfortunately, maintaining the job also meant t...Well written and insightful, although it spends too much time on civil rights leader and pioneer A Philip Randolph a subject no doubt deserving its own book The Pullman Porter was the connective tissue of the Black community, passing information, inspiration al...Outstanding story of the role of the Pullman Porters in both the civil rights movement and the labor movement A critical read about an important part of American history Their sacrifices are mostly forgotten, but their impact on generations of African Americans and workers in general is significant.

English
27 August 2018

Larry Tye