This exhibit explores the paradox of the relationship between the Pullman Company and its porters. While a job as a porter was perceived by those in the Black community as one of prestige, the porters themselves knew that it was arduous work with long hours and low pay.
Despite the working conditions, and perhaps inadvertently, the Pullman Company helped to give rise to the Black middle class. Porters broadened their worldly knowledge by reading newspapers and books left behind on the train cars. Because they were now travelling around the country, they were able to establish a national network of communication amongst African Americans. They also observed and emulated the mannerisms, dress, and aspirations of the wealthy Pullman clientele. In short, they saw the possibilities. And they saw the inequities.
We regularly hear from countless guests that the profound story of the Pullman porters is not well-known. With our Many Voices exhibit, we walk through the porters’ 100-year journey from freed people in 1863 to civil rights activists in the 1963 March on Washington. This allows us to begin sometimes challenging but essential conversations with our guests about this significant time in American history that still holds powerful lessons for today.
In keeping with our mission, Living the Lincoln Legacy, we strive to paint the whole picture and act as a host for civil civic discourse. Sunbeam is not only a restored artifact, but also a tool to help interpret the Many Voices exhibit. It is important to us to embrace the opportunity and responsibility to share the stories of the people involved in the Pullman Company, while letting the “voices” speak for themselves.
Hildene’s Many Voices exhibit at its Pullman Car, Sunbeam, is one of the southernmost sites on the Vermont African American Heritage Trail. The trail takes you to historic and cultural sites where actions, events, and individuals significant to African American history and civil rights are remembered.
