Bro. A. Phillip Randolph | Iota Sigma Chapter

Asa Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, Florida, and grew up in Jacksonville, where he attended the Cookman Institute. He later moved to New York to pursue acting while working various jobs, developing his skills as an orator and advocate for African American rights. In 1912, he co-founded the Brotherhood of Labour to support Black workers and later launched The Messenger magazine with Chandler Owen to promote political awareness.

In 1925, Randolph founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first successful Black trade union, and secured its first major contract in 1937. He organized the 1941 March on Washington, pressuring President Roosevelt to end discrimination in war industries, and later influenced President Truman to desegregate the armed forces. Randolph also served as Vice President of the AFL-CIO and as the first President of the Negro American Labor Council.

For his lifelong work advancing civil rights and equality, Randolph was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He retired due to poor health and spent his remaining years writing an unfinished autobiography.

Randolph transitioned to the Omega Chapter on May 16, 1979, at age 90, and his ashes are interred at the A. Philip Randolph Institute in Washington, D.C., leaving a lasting legacy in labor and civil rights.

Awards:
Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pacem in Terris Award, and the Spingarn Medal.