A. Philip Randolph
contemporaryAfrican American Social Thought, Democratic Socialism1889 – 1979
Asa Philip Randolph (1889–1979) was an African American labor organizer, civil rights leader, and social theorist whose work centered on the intersection of racial justice and economic democracy. He founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, the first predominantly Black labor union chartered by the AFL, and organized the 1963 March on Washington. His thought drew on democratic socialism and Black liberation, arguing that political freedom was inseparable from economic power.
Notable Achievements
1
Founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (1925), pioneering Black labor organizing
2
Organized the 1941 threatened March on Washington, prompting FDR's Executive Order 8802 banning discriminatory hiring in defense industries
3
Co-organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
4
Articulated a framework linking racial liberation to economic justice and labor rights
5
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964)