A. Philip Randolph and Boston\u27s African-American Railroad Worker

On October 8, 1988, a group of retired Pullman car porters and dining car waiters gathered in Boston\u27s Back Bay Station for the unveiling of a larger-than-life statue of A. Philip Randolph. During the 1920s and 1930s, Randolph was a pioneering black labor leader who led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He came to be considered the father of the modern civil rights movement as a result of his efforts to desegregate World War II defense jobs and the military services. Randolph\u27s importance as a militant leader is highlighted by a quote inscribed on the base of the statue which reads, in part: Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given; it is exacted