Detroit tribune. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1933, 1933-08-26
Sleeping Car Porter
Refused Service In
Colored Restaurant
PORTER NOT ALLOWED
TO ENTER PREMISES
Affiliations w it h
Brotherhood Cause
Of Refusal

An unusual case of discrimina-
ton was brought TO light here In
Detroit several days ago, when l..
Clough. "A member of the Brother
hood OF Sleeping Car Porters, was
refused service in restaurant
owned and operated by Mrs.
Steavison, Colored. at 205S 18th
street. Mr.. Clough states that upon
questioning the proprietress. he
learned she had been instructed by
an official of the Pullman Com
pany not 10 serve him. nor permit
him to enter the premises.
Interviews OffclaI
Clough then sought II. j. Clark,
district superintendent of the
Pullman Company, whose office is
in the Michigan Central Station.
Mr.. Clark. it is said. denied that
he had given such orders to tho
cafe owner.
With this information in hand,
Clough again entered the restau-
rant on the following day. and was
again refused service. being told
in very emphatic terms that he
was not 10 be served, or permitted
; I'm the place. lie immediately re-
n ported INC matter 20 Hepeie Snkt'
! 4 1>~~~k <x&cotsS~ ~err~terylsu ~ IN
~ brotherhood, who went In ceA.psr
y wftt sonfizer nsepsker - enc Hf19{h
orhoOd. ard q 1'rftune roprcs<uf&'
tive. to Mrs. Steavisou. IN order
to learn the truth or the matter.
Cafe Owner Questioned
Upon questioning by Mr.. Smith.
IL was learned that Mr.. Clark.
| Pullman's official, had directed
Mrs. SteavisoE not only 10 refuse
to serve Mr.. Clough, but also four
other members OF the Union
Messrs ID. S. Gilbert. Bonnie
Smith. j. Parham. and n. King.
whose names were written in Mrs.
Steavison's memorandum.
According TO the restaurant -
owners statement. the objectiorS
against the men in question were
that they are affiliated with the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Por-
tiers. and that they have alleged
Communistic attitudes, all of which
IL is claimed exerts bad influ-
ence upon non-Unior Sleeping
Car POrters. who also use the
Steavison cafe as their headquar-
ters.
brotherhood Men Fired
According to representatives OF
the brotherhood OF Sleeping Car
Porters, the Pullman Company has
made it hard for Union men and
those not affiliated with the Com
pany's Union. Many Of the Broth
erhood men in active service, have
been fired. under In guise OF being
"furloughed. and out-of-town
men have been transferred to take
their runs. 1t is alleged the Com
pany has not been kindly disposed
toward the Brotherhood of Sleep
ing Car Porters. because OF the
bitter fights which these men have
waged In courts in Chicago. for a
living wage and fair play. They
were victorious in their fight and
declare that IL they could get the
cooperation of all the men in the
service. who are not affiliated with
the Brotherhood. the Pullman
Service Would offer a respectable
living to its porters.
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Portcrs was organized by A. Phil
lip Randolph. Aug. 25, 1925. with
neucleus of six Pullman porters.
Since 1929. Il has been affiliated
with the American Federation OF
Labor. Mr.. Randolph is the ma
tional president of the Brother
hood.
Their eighth anniversary cello
bration Is in progress this week
having started Aug. 20 and con-
tinuing through the 25th in chica-
go at the Brotherhood's headQuar-
ters. 1891 Michigan avenue.