Week 4

I was taking the train from New York to Florida this past week, and had an interesting chat with one of my fellow passengers. As we sat there, one of the porters leaned over me to tell the woman next to me that she didn’t have to move to the Jim Crow car when the time came. They were speaking quietly – I think he wasn’t supposed to be talking to her like that – so I couldn’t make out specifics, and I wanted to stay out of the conversation while it was happening, because it seemed sensitive. But after a few minutes, I was curious, and I asked her about it.

I hadn’t known how normal it was for Black passengers to go to the Jim Crow car upon entering the South, even now when they don’t legally have to, and I hadn’t known how risky it was for train workers to tell passengers their rights. I didn’t expect that with the end of Jim Crow everything would change immediately, of course, but I also was completely unaware of the scope of the problem. Fortunately, the woman next to me decided not to move cars. It was, after all, her right to sit by me, and I was glad she exercised her right, both because I think it’s good on principle and because I was happy to have her company. She was going back down to Florida to see her family, and told me stories about her childhood and about her move up to New York ten years ago. She hadn’t been back to Florida in a while. She said that she was grateful that the porter was on her side and would support her in not moving cars, but she didn’t think most of her family in Florida would feel comfortable riding in the integrated car in the South. I guess I’ll have to start paying more attention to these things. In any case, we got off the train in Florida and her family met her at the station and I went on my way. It sure is beautiful here!