The main goal of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was to help achieve equal opportunities for African Americans in the workplace and in American society (Tuttle). They wanted to achieve higher wages, shorter working hours, self-determination, equity, and dignity for African Americans (Morales). According to Morales, a porter received $25 for more than 80 hours of work, a low figure even for the early 1920s. Porters had to work more than 400 in a month or 11,000 miles, whichever came first to receive overtime pay. Asa Philip Randolph was approached by Ashley Totten, a union organizer and veteran Pullman porter, and asked to lead the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Randolph reluctantly agreed (Morales). Asa Philip Randolph was a key leader of the time who encouraged African American workers to fight for their rights as a group by forming unions. His background helped influence his actions. His goal in almost everything he did was to help African Americans gain economic power. His father was a minister and his family really believed in a good education. Randolph graduated as valedictorian of his class at Cookmar Institute (Tuttle). In 1911 he moved to New York where he took night classes and earned money as an elevator operator. While in New York, his interest in social justice and politics grew. This led to the founding of The Messenger with good friend Chandler Owen. According to Tuttle, "The Messenger was the boldest and became an important voice for black equality." Randolph rallied different types of people, including labor leaders, civil rights activists, and government figures, in hopes of creating change. It brought together some of the best known...... middle of paper......ng Car Porters took place on August 25, 1925 in Harlem, New York, after Randolph accepted and was elected head of the group , at which they approximately 500 porters participated (p. 227). This was quickly followed by a fundraising tour in Chicago initiated by Randolph (Morales). In 1926, the porters were called by the society to a conference which then ended with another pay increase for the porters, which brought their monthly salary to $72.50 (Valien, p. 227). On June 8, 1928, the Brotherhood planned a strike against the Pullman Company using tips as a way to raise wages, but it was cancelled. Instead, the president of the American Federation of Labor suggested doing a campaign to raise awareness among the general public. 1929 was the year the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters entered the mainstream (p. 228). They then submitted a petition on October 16, 1930. Challenges faced