Asa Philip Randolph

Asa Philip Randolph Family Life Asa Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889 in Crescent City Florida, to James and Elizabeth Randolph. His father was a traveling minister and his mother was a seamstress. His parents instilled in him a belief that color is less important than a person’s character and conduct. They also instilled in him the importance of education and hard work. His father constantly told the Randolph children that they were as able and as competent as any individual. Randolph excelled in school and eventually went to the Cookman Institute in Jacksonville Florida before enrolling in the City College of New York. He was a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. In 1914 he married Lucille Green of Christianburg Virginia; they had no children. Lucille Green was a Howard University graduate and a beauty salon owner. She also shared in his socialist beliefs and encouraged his involvement in political discussion. Through his tenure as an activist for equality, Randolph encountered many seemingly insurmountable challenges. He believed in civil disobedience and in mass protest. Randolph became known as one of the most dangerous black men in America. He influenced many of those discriminated against to stand up and defend themselves. He was driven to help to remedy the economic problems facing the African American community and he forced presidents and corporations to face these issues. Politics At the age of 21, Randolph joined the Socialist Party of America; a political group who believed that the working class should have political power and ability to distribute goods. At the age of 28, with the help of the Socialist Party of America, he co-founded a radical publication called the Messenger. The Messenger was a monthly magazine which spoke out against lynching and participation in WWI. It also tried to convince African Americans to fight against being drafted into the military and to fight for an