Our Authors Study Club Seeks Pullman Porter Descendants for Historic Film Screening
Our Authors Study Club Seeks Pullman Porter Descendants for Historic Film Screening and “The Roads We’ve Traveled” Book Project
An unnamed Pullman porter works at Chicago’s Union Station in 1943. Jack Delano/Library of Congress
LOS ANGELES, CA – In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the Our Authors Study Club (OASC) has launched an extensive search for descendants of Pullman Porters and Maids who played a pivotal role in American labor history and the Civil Rights Movement as well as the countless personal stories of the everyday workers whose resilience, innovation, and dedication remain untold.
CALLING ALL DESCENDANTS
OF PULLMAN PORTERS AND MAIDS
OASC is seeking descendants for two significant projects:
- Special Film Screening & Panel Discussion – Southern California descendants are invited to attend a screening of “10,000 Black Men Named George” on June 21, 2025, at 1:00 PM in the Mark Taper Auditorium at the Los Angeles Public Library. Descendants will have the unique opportunity to participate in a post-screening panel discussion, sharing personal family stories and historical artifacts in a powerful living history session.
- “The Roads We’ve Traveled” Book Project – Descendants nationwide are encouraged to submit their family histories for inclusion in “The Roads We’ve Traveled: Blacks and the Labor Movement,” in partnership with Mack Enterprises. This book will document the enduring legacy of these pioneering workers whose personal stories of resilience and determination shaped American history.
- Anyone can submit a family member who was a – skilled craftsperson, domestic worker, union organizer, entrepreneur or the everyday worker whose dedication transformed America.
“These brave men and women were not just workers; they were pioneers who laid the foundation for economic and social justice in America,” said Lura Daniels-Ball, President of Our Authors Study Club. “Their legacy lives on through their descendants, and we aim to document and honor their stories before they are lost to history.”
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, founded in 1925 by labor activist A. Philip Randolph, fought against exploitation and racial discrimination within the Pullman Company, then the nation’s largest employer of Black Americans. After more than a decade of struggle, they achieved their first contract in 1937, securing better wages, regulated work hours, and dignity in the workplace.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
- For Book Submissions (Deadline: May 15, 2025):
- Select ONE historical photograph of a family member connected to labor
- Craft your story in 75 impactful words
- Submit through the streamlined portal: bit.ly/SubmissionOASCLaborBook
- For Film Screening (RSVP For the panel by June 1, 2025): Contact OASC at [email protected] to confirm attendance and participation in the panel discussion.
Note the Event is Free to the public. Rsvp for the event to www.oascla.org.rsvp. Space is limited.
The June 21st event will also honor Robert Townsend with a special Hall of Fame Award as a Transformative Torchbearer in the entertainment industry. Townsend directed “10,000 Black Men Named George,” which chronicles A. Philip Randolph’s groundbreaking efforts to organize the first Black labor union in America.
About Robert Townsend
Robert Townsend transformed Hollywood for Black artists, rising from Chicago’s west side to revolutionize independent filmmaking with “Hollywood Shuffle,” created using only credit cards and determination. As writer, director, and star of classics like “The Five Heartbeats” and “10,000 Black Men Named George,” he consistently tells authentic Black stories while opening doors for countless talents.
About Our Authors Study Club
The Our Authors Study Club is a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Black history and literature. Their mission: Black History: Past, Present, and Future – making the world more aware of, more connected to, and more invested in the African American and African diaspora experience through culture, scholarship, technology, and research.
This event is sponsored by the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC.org)
