Rising from the Rails

Rising from the Rails chronicles the Pullman Porters rise from near-servitude in the years following the Civil War to become the backbone of the rail industry and ambassadors of culture between the worlds of privileged whites and the black community. The era of the Pullman Porters, which begins at the abolition of slavery and ends when Pullman ceased its sleeping car service in 1969, encapsulates the evolution of African-Americans from post-slavery disenfranchisement to full participation in the social, economic and political fabric of America.