The Pullman Porter: An American Journey by Vanita Oelschlager and illustrated by Mike Blanc (Vanita Books, May 2014) captures the history of the former slaves who became the porters on the Pullman train cars. Rich acrylic paintings add a sense of awe to the text. The book shares the duties of a Pullman porter, as well as how and why former slaves were asked to serve on Pullman train cars. It was not an easy task to be a Pullman porter, and Ms Oelschlager provides lots of information as to how Pullman porters’ experiences and understandings added to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Digital review copy from the publisher.
