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October 27 – November 9, 2016
 
 
 

champion services travel - group travel

 
 
On The Dock This Issue:
 
randolph museum   George Pullman and A. Phillip Randolph’s Chicago
Despite how one sees George Pullman’s role in African-American life, what makes Pullman Park an historic community is his building a small town and using it to attract and retain workers.
    A Port Of Harlem Fall at the Alexandria Black History Museum
Reservations are strongly encouraged.To reserve your seat(s), call the Museum at (703) 746-4356, or click Register at the end of the event listings, that are below, that you will attend.
    Jacob Lawrence | Whitfield Lovell Winners
Deborah Brown and Ruby Lewis, both of Washington, each won two tickets.
    Transgender Population Greatest In DC
An estimated 2.77% of the District of Columbia identifies as transgender.
    Caribbean Night Featuring Sandals/Beaches Resorts
Participants at the event are treated to a free, full course meal and beverages.
    Vote USA 2016
Michelle Obama will campaign with Hillary Clinton. Evangelicals are breaking apart.
    Activities
Interesting, diverse things to do
    Readers' Trends
Port Of Harlem, Pinterest, and Facebook (Add to our more than 835 LIKES)
 
 
 
Travel

George Pullman and A. Phillip Randolph’s Chicago


wayne a young

randolph musuem

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Last February 19, President Obama designated Chicago’s urban Pullman Park District a national monument. A recent tour of the historic district provided me the chance to observe the grand changes that have taken place in America since its golden industrial age and reminded me that people can interpret the same historical facts differently.

Business mogul George Pullman built Pullman Park and a luxury railroad car factory just outside what was then Chicago’s city limits in the late 1870s. From the glass enclosed board room on top of the modern US Bank Tower (formerly Pullman Bank), we viewed not only the Pullman site, but the many shuttered steel mills that once belched smoke along the southern shores of Lake Michigan from Chicago to beyond Gary, Indiana  - - in the Greater Calumet Region.  (Nevertheless, Gary and Northwestern Indiana remains the steel capitol of America.)

Also below the board room, we viewed a huge new Whole Foods distribution center topped by the world’s largest rooftop greenhouse and an environmentally friendly Method Soap manufacturing plant powered, in part, by a huge windmill. They replaced a former Ryerson steel plant - - The Windy City is gearing up for the future.

Looking back to Pullman’s place in history, Mike Shymanski, President of the Historic Pullman Foundation, made an interesting connection between Pullman and African American Civil Rights powerhouse A. Phillip Randolph.  Pullman, he said, played a part in the advancement of Black Americans by “providing significant opportunities for African-Americans.”

However, Dr. Lyn Hughes, founder of the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, has a different perspective. “Blacks who worked for Pullman Company were not treated the same as their White counterparts. Hence, under Randolph’s leadership, the Pullman Porters fought a valiant battle for employment equality with the corporate giant.”Despite how one sees Pullman’s role in African-American life, what makes Pullman Park an historic community is his building a small town and using it to attract and retain workers. The community included more than 1,700 houses, a church, a school, offices, stores, a library, and a bank.

The housing included indoor plumbing, which was not a standard in the 1880s when it opened, and housing for various income levels, which current affordable housing advocates would admire. And long before Washington, DC’s Coalition for Smarter Growth and others advocated for walkable neighborhoods, Pullman’s idealistic company town was across the street from the factory. Even the shops were built under one roof, long before Americans became entranced with enclosed shopping malls. 

He also built the town with separate sanitary and storm sewers. The Washington, D.C. water authority is now spending $2.4 billion on a 20-year project to correct its combined system and to ease the environmental problems a combined system causes.

Interestingly, President Lincoln’s only son to live as an adult, Robert Todd Lincoln, was the general counsel under Pullman and became president after Pullman's death in 1897. And, just as many modern historians no longer simply paint Lincoln as the “great emancipator,”  film and other documentaries such as “10,000 Black men Named George” highlight the struggles and successes Pullman’s porters had with Pullman’s company.

Two of those who seized the opportunity was Michelle Obama’s great-grandfather and A. Philip Randolph, and through Philip’s leadership, the United States.
From my perspective, The Pullman community tour magnified how Pullman essentially made a business decision to hire the former enslaved Americans to provide the service - - which many found to be a "natural" job for Blacks - - on the cars built and managed by the Pullman Car Palace Company in 1867 – just four years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

The new jobs gave these freedmen unprecedented freedom to see the country and access to very connected people says Shymanski - - which often times made them well-respected citizens in the African-American community. Two of those who seized the opportunity was Michelle Obama’s great-grandfather and A. Philip Randolph, and through Philip’s leadership, the United States.

At the urging of Pullman’s Black railroad porters and maids, Randolph helped organize the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925.  The union’s aim was to improve the working conditions and treatment of its members. On April 25, 1937, the BSCP signed the first agreement between a union of African American workers and a major American corporation – 74 years after the free labor scheme of enslavement ended.

The Randolph museum is only a five-minute drive from the Pullman National Monument Visitor Information Center, through the National Park Service-Pullman National Monument District. It opened in 1995 and is dedicated exclusively to African-American labor history beginning with the African-American railroad workers. The townhouse museum includes a 26 minute video that covers some of Pullman’s story, but from a labor perspective.

Though Randolph was only five-years-old when President Cleveland ordered 2,500 federal troops to Chicago to “restore order” during the infamous Pullman Strike (Six days after the strike, the U.S. Congress created the Labor Day holiday.) and seven-years-old when Pullman died, Pullman set in motion the rise of Randolph. And Randolph was instrumental in the success of Bayard Rustin, his mentee, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Note:  The tour was part of the Calumet Outdoors series, which is supported by the Field Museum, Chicago. Click 10,000 Black Men Named George to see the movie - - at no cost.
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A Port Of Harlem Fall at the Alexandria Black History Museum

alexandria black history museum


The Alexandria Black History Museum hosts the following programs from the pages of Port Of Harlem Magazine. All programs open with a 20-minute reception with light refreshments. To reserve your seat(s), call the Museum at (703) 746-4356, or click Register at
the end of the event listings, that are below, that you will attend. 

cr gibbsFriday, November 11, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lecture - A Dawn Like Thunder: Africa, Black America, and World War II by CR Gibbs  -  The noted historian and Port Of Harlem Magazine contributor discusses the often neglected role African people played in WWII and the impact it had on Africa and Diaspora, and the interactions between all three.  Free | Register

sarah murphy grayThursday, November 17, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Lecture – Expanding Social Security and You - Forty-six percent of African Americans rely on Social Security for more than 90 percent of their retirement income and Social Security makes up an average of 52 percent of household income for those who are 65 and older. Three million children directly benefit from Social Security, and a growing number of children who live with their grandparents indirectly benefit. Restoring the student benefits program dropped in 1981 would make college more affordable.

Sarah Murphy Gray, the Senior Policy and Program Associate at the Center for Global Policy Solutions, leads a discussion on the program’s importance and how expanding the program can help close the racial wealth gap.  Free | Register

george tolbert sharon farmerSaturday, November 19, 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Workshop - Photography with Two Historical Photographers - Sharon Farmer, the first African-American Director of White House Photography, joins George Tolbert, the first African American official U.S. Senate photographer, to provide tips and techniques that will help you improve your personal photography. They encourage you to bring your images on a thumb drive or CD to garner tips on how to improve those images. The Exposure Group African American Photographers Association, Inc. is co-sponsoring this event. $5 | Register


bernadette championSaturday, December 3, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lecture - Getting the Most of Your Vacation for Less with Bernadette Champion - African Americans are the largest heritage tourism demographic in the United States. Learn how to maximize your spending power, support Black owned businesses, and look beyond traditional itineraries to include: African and African American related history, internet deals, restrictions, exceptions, price, and the fine print. With 30 years of travel planning experience, the owner of Champion Services Travel will discuss what you should consider when planning your vacation.  Free | Register

All events are free except for the Photography with Two Historical Photographers workshop, which is $5. Donations are encouraged to support future programming. Free street parking is available. The Alexandria Black History Museum is located at 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia  22314, five blocks from the Braddock Road Metro Station on the Yellow and Blue Lines.  For more information, please call 703.746.4356.

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Jacob Lawrence | Whitfield Lovell Winners
whitfield lovell
Deborah Brown and Ruby Lewis, both of Washington, each won two tickets to the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St NW in Washington, D.C., to see the exhibitions, “The Migration Series” and “Kin Series.” The showings are through Sunday, January 8, 2017. Exhibition admission is $12, $10 for seniors and students; free for members and visitors 18 and under.

For the first time since 2008, all 60 colorful panels of the historic “The Migration Series” by Jacob Lawrence are on display. The exhibit includes short explanations of many of the paintings by the deceased Lawrence. To hear the explanations, patrons use their cell phones to hear a recording.

The paintings depict the migration of Blacks from the South to the North and often used by families to explain family history.  “Art is an important way to stimulate dialogue,” confirmed curator Elsa Smithgal.

The Phillips is also featuring the debut Washington presentation of Whitfield Lovell’s “Kin Series.” The Bronx, New York native features black and white images mostly on recovered wood. Many readers may be familiar with his work in calendars.

Look for future drawings for our subscribers. Subscriptions are free. Thanks for reading Port of Harlem.

Please invite your friends to subscribe, too at:
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Transgender Population Greatest In DC
earline budd
An estimated 1.4 million people - - around 0.6 percent of U.S. adults  - - identify as transgender  according to a new study by the Williams Institute. An estimated 2.77% of the District of Columbia identifies as transgender making the District of Columbia the home to the largest estimated transgender population per capita among the 50 states.



Behind Washington were Hawaii, California, Georgia, and New Mexico – all with 0.8 percent – followed by Texas and Florida with 0.7 percent transgender. The numbers fluctuate by state, but they are also double the findings from a decade ago.

From our Archives - Next: TransPeople Rights? - African-American Earline Budd Male to Female
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Caribbean Night Featuring Sandals/Beaches Resorts

dilworth daley

Daley's Destinations is sponsoring another introduction to a travel hotspot. Their new event will feature Sandals/Beaches resorts. Participants at the event are treated to a free, full course meal and beverages.

Reservations are strongly suggested.



“With 18 resorts on seven islands, one is probably perfect for you,” says travel advisor and president of Daley's Destinations Dilworth E.  Daley.” At the event, participants are presented a talk along with a slideshow about the resort, with a Sandal/Beaches representative on hand to answer particular questions.

“Consider enjoying an evening hearing all about these resorts with tasty Indian food,” continued Daley.  Flavors of India is again serving as the host restaurant.  The restaurant offers free parking.

Flavors of India
7185 Columbia Gateway Dr, Ste A
Columbia, MD
Thu, Nov 3, 6:30p-8p, free
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Vote USA 2016

obama hillary - Michelle Obama will campaign with Hillary Clinton for the first time Thursday, October 27 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Their Wake Forest University rally will be from 2p to 4p, at Hearn Plaza, an outdoor space in the center of campus. Doors will open at 11:30a.

- "Get this, Donald: Nasty women are tough, nasty women are smart and nasty women vote. We are gonna march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes, to get you out of our lives forever." - Senator Elizabeth Warren campaigning with Clinton.

- Obama "Mean" Tweets on TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live:

@realDonaldTrump: "President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!"

To that Obama responded, "Hey, @realDonaldTrump, at least I will go down as a president."



click to register to vote

- Click here to register to Vote

- Evangelicals Are Breaking Apart - One recent poll from LifeWay Research, which specializes in surveys of churches and Christians, found that non-White evangelicals support Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a margin of 62% to 15%.

When Jerry Falwell, Jr., the president of Liberty University, endorsed Trump, students there circulated a petition criticizing Falwell for "actively promoting the very things that we Christians ought to oppose." Within 2 days, 2,500 people had signed the petition.

- On Wednesday, The United States, headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama, abstained for the first time from a United Nations General Assembly vote on a resolution calling for an end to a U.S. economic embargo on Cuba. The U.S. has opposed such measures every year for 24 years against our Cuban cousins. "The Cuba embargo needs to go once and for all," Hillary Clinton said last March.
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Activities

leroy campbell



Washington, DC
8th Annual Julius K. Nyerere Commemoration
Gallery Serengeti
Capitol Heights MD
7919 Central Avenue
Sun, Oct 30, 5p-7p, $25

Thomas Sankara Annual Conference, 5th Edition
Festival Center
1640 Columbia Road, NW
Sat, Nov 5, 3:30p, free

8th Annual South Africa Bazaar
Silver Spring Civic Building
One Veterans Plaza
Silver Spring, MD
Sat, Nov 5, 10a-6p, free

Baltimore
A Hard Road to Freedom: The Civil War, African Americans & Emancipation in Maryland
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture
830 E Pratt St
CR Gibbs
Sat, Oct 29, 1p, museum admission   

Charleston,  WV
West Virginia Book Fair
Charleston Civic Center
Charleston, WV
Fri,  Oct 28 10a-6p, Sat, Oct 29, 9a-5p, free

Dallas
An Evening with Kim Fields
Clarence Muse Café Theater
1309 Canton St
Fri, Nov 4 and Sat, Nov 5, 8:15p, $20

New York
Leroy Campbell "The Fight Continues"
Richard Beavers Gallery 
408 Marcus Garvey Blvd
Brooklyn, NY
Sat, Nov 5–Sat, Dec 10
Opening Night: Sat, Nov 5, 6p-9p
open Sats and Suns, noon-7p, free

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Readers'
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jacob lawrence

Jacob Lawrence,
Whitfield Lovell –
Free Ticket
Drawing
  banana condom


No More
Condoms?



  michelle obama

White House
warns Trump
not to attack
Michelle Obama



  cr gibbs

CR Gibbs

 
 
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