National Park Service
Has An Interest In
Pullman And The Black
Labor History Story
In
January 2012, former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. held a press conference in
Chicago where he announced that he was planning to sponsor Bill H.R. 3894. The
Bill would start the process that of initiating a study that
will determine the feasibility of making the community of Pullman, where
we are located, a National Park Service site. How exciting is that! For
the Black Labor history component of American history, to have prominence in the
larger Pullman story is very rewarding. I say that because that would mean that
we would no longer have to shoulder the primary responsibility of keeping the
museum and its story alive, the way we have for 18 years, with very little
assistance. At a certain point in the
near future, we may need you to contact your elected officials and ask them to
join our elected officials to help push in Washington. We will keep you
informed.
NEW PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
IN 2016
Upcoming
events include Art Exhibitions of descendants as well as humanities lectures
and performances.
LECTURES AND FILM SERIES
FOCUS ON THE ARTS
This
year we will begin taking a more in depth look into the lives of the descendants
of African American Railroad Employees, by shining a light on various individuals.
This will begin with our highlighting the Arts.
UPCOMING EVENTS
FEATURE
DESCENDANTS ART EXHIBITIONS
Robert West (Grandson Of Pullman Porter)
Date to Be Announced
Robert
West is America's newest railroad illustrator. West is consistently on the road
giving one-man art shows at railroad related events all over the country. In
addition he gives lectures, slide presentations, as well as continues ongoing
research to keep a visual record of the fast disappearing contemporary North
American Railroad scene. It is in this capacity that he
functions as a visual historian, bringing back memories to those, his
age and older, while educating those his age and younger!
HUMANITIES
LECTURE/RE-ENACTMENT
JOSEPH TRIMBLE –
Opening October 2015
(Grandson of a Pullman
Porter)
Joseph
D. Trimble is a native of Chicago, Illinois currently living in Montgomery,
Alabama. He is the son of a Pullman Porter who worked for the Pullman Company
over thirty years. Trimble has had an interest in the Pullman Porter story ever
since he accompanied his father on train rides to the South to visit his
grandparents in Alabama when he was only five years old. Inspired by the late
great storyteller and Journalist Kathryn Tucker Windham Trimble was encouraged
to not only study history but to tell the stories from history that would
educate, inspire and inform the listening public.
"My
goal through historical storytelling is to identify events, people, or
organization throughout history that have made a profound impact. There is no
better story than that of the Pullman Porters. Through my twenty one years in
the military, as I have traveled all over the country, I have heard the
inspiring, educational and often entertaining stories of the Pullman Porters
and how they overcame their obstacles and paved the way for people like the
Tuskegee Airmen and General Colin Powell. These are the stories I seek to tell
to encourage the current generation to read and achieve.
We are Reinstating
the National Advisory Council !
We have great news! We are reestablishing the A. Philip
Randolph Pullman Porter Museum’s (APRPPM) National advisory board. Previously members
of the APRPPM’s NAC joined us from varied sectors such as: Labor, cultural
organization, business and public office from around the country. During its
existence the NAB was a very effective vehicle for the museum. The NAC provided
critical strategic direction for the museum that enabled the museum to operate
productively and most important, helped it to maintain a bottom line in the
black. There was much creativity and wisdom in their direction. Past membership was composed of esteemed
individuals such as
Carol
Adams Ph.D.
Secretary
Illinois
Department Health and
Human
Services -
Now President of DuSable Museum
Elnora D. Daniel Ed.D.
President
Chicago State University
Cliff Kelley
Radio Talk Show Host
WVON Radio Chicago
Russell Lewis
Andrew Mellon Scholar and
Curator
Chicago Historical Society
Paula Robinson
National Board of Advisors
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Dr. Hycel B. Taylor
Author & Senior Pastor
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Chicago, IL
Carl Westmoreland
Senior Researcher
National Underground
Railroad Freedom Center
We are close to announcing a new Chairman of our new National Advisory Council
(IN FORMATION ) and their plans for building its new membership . We hope that the new council look and become as effective as the old one which is listed above.
….Stay Tuned
