Rosina Tucker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosina Tucker
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| Born |
Rosina Budd Harvey
4 November 1881 Northwest, Washington, D.C.
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| Died | 3 March 1987 (aged 105) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Rosina Corrothers |
| Occupation | labor organizer, civil rights activist, educator |
| Spouse(s) | James D. Corrothers Berthea J. Tucker |
Rosina Tucker (born November 4, 1881 – died March 3, 1987) was an American labor organizer, civil rights activist, and educator. She is best known for helping to create the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This was the first ever African-American trade union. When she was 100 years old, Rosina Tucker told the story of the union in a film called Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle.
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Rosina Tucker's Early Life
Rosina Budd Harvey was born in Washington, D.C., on November 4, 1881. She was one of nine children. Her parents, Lee Roy and Henrietta Harvey, had both been slaves in Virginia. Her father was a shoemaker. He taught himself to read and write. He also made sure his children loved books.
In 1897, Rosina Harvey visited her aunt in Yonkers, New York. There, she met a poet named James D. Corrothers. He was a guest minister. Rosina married James on December 2, 1899. They had a son named Henry Harvey Corrothers. They also raised James's son from an earlier marriage.
After her husband James died in 1917, Rosina moved back to Washington, D.C. She worked for the government as a file clerk. On November 27, 1918, she married her second husband, Berthea "B.J." Tucker. He worked as a Pullman porter.
How Rosina Tucker Helped the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was a union for porters. It started in 1925 with A. Philip Randolph as its president. Rosina's husband, B.J. Tucker, joined right away. He and Rosina began organizing in the Washington area.
Porters worked very long hours. They had little time for union activities. Many also worried they would lose their jobs if their bosses found out they were in the union. Because of this, the porters' wives did much of the organizing. They often held secret meetings.
Rosina Tucker went to many secret meetings with A. Philip Randolph and other union leaders. She visited about 300 porters at their homes in Washington. She gave them information, helped them join, and collected their union fees. She also started the local Ladies' Auxiliary. This group raised money for the union by holding dances and dinners.
When the Pullman Company found out about Rosina Tucker's union work, they fired her husband. Rosina went to her husband's supervisor's office. She told him that she was not employed by the company. She said her husband had nothing to do with her activities. She demanded that her husband be rehired. The supervisor was likely surprised by her strong words. Her husband was put back on his job.
In 1938, Rosina went to the national union meeting in Chicago. She led the committee that wrote the union's rules. That year, she was chosen as the secretary-treasurer of the union's auxiliary. She held this job for over 30 years.
In 1941, she helped plan the union's first March on Washington. This march was called off when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802. This order helped prevent discrimination in defense jobs. Later, she also helped organize the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.
Rosina Tucker's Role in Women’s Economic Councils
In 1925, Rosina Tucker became the president of The Ladies’ Auxiliary. This group was also known as the Women’s Economic Councils. This role allowed her to continue her union work. It also let her share her ideas about what racial and gender equality should mean in America.
Rosina's job was to organize women in the union. She also taught that women should not just be housewives. She believed they should actively help by getting other women to join the union. She wanted to spread the idea that women were very important in the fight for civil rights.
Because of Rosina Tucker's strong leadership, the Women’s Economic Councils made good connections with other unions. These included women's and men's unions, and black and white unions. For example, the Washington Women’s Trade Union League and the National Negro Alliance wanted to fight against racial unfairness in grocery stores. Rosina helped them with their boycott. She also supported the WTUL, which was fighting for civil rights in industries like laundry, hotel, and restaurant work. Many African American women worked in these jobs.
By 1936, Rosina Tucker received a special briefcase. It was a "thank you" for her hard work. Rosina always believed that her job was not just a hobby. She saw it as "a tool of collective political struggle." So, the briefcase was a meaningful reward for her dedication.
Rosina Tucker's View of Women's Roles
When A. Philip Randolph asked Rosina Tucker to lead the first Women’s Economic Council in Washington, she felt it was her purpose. She believed that God had a plan for everyone.
Rosina strongly disagreed with the idea that Black women were not good or smart enough. She knew there were differences between White and Black cultures. However, many people, both Black and White, thought women should be less important than men. Rosina and other women saw their role differently. They actively supported the men's civil rights movement. The auxiliary often helped the BSCP locals with rent and extra money. This made the women very proud.
Rosina also believed that any work, including the Auxiliary Ladies' work, should be paid. She said, "since this is a labor organization, which all of us have fought together to establish for better working conditions, … certainly those who are actually doing the work should receive a living wage."
Even though these activists were not called feminists, the Women’s Economic Councils' voices grew louder. They wanted men to notice their important role, their skills, and their organizing experience. The most important thing the WEC did in the long run was to educate. Many activist women taught new generations of the Black community. They gave young people ideas about how to take action together for equal civil rights.
Rosina Tucker's Later Years and Legacy
Rosina Tucker continued her union and civil rights work for many years. She helped organize laundry workers, teachers, and red caps (people who carried bags) in the Washington area. She spoke to Congress about laws for workers and education. She also gave her opinion to House and Senate committees on topics like day care, education, and voting rights in D.C.
When she was 102, she spoke to a Senate committee about aging. At 104, she was still traveling and giving talks. She also wrote her life story, called My Life as I Have Lived It. It was published after she died in 2012.
Rosina Tucker told the story in a 1982 documentary film about the union. The film was called Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle. Jack Santino and Paul Wagner made the film. It won many awards, including four regional Emmys and a CINE Golden Eagle.
Rosina Tucker was 105 years old when she passed away on March 3, 1987.
Remembering Rosina Tucker
At her funeral on March 3, 1987, Rosina Tucker was remembered as "Mother Tucker." The service was held at the 15th Street Presbyterian Church in Washington. She had attended this church for 65 years. Many friends and co-workers came to honor her. She was one of the greatest African American activists for human rights.
Norma McDaniel, a close friend, said: "She was a woman of firm conviction, yet, she was as gentle as she was strong." Another person at the funeral said: "She had a caring intellect, a full heart and a ready smile."
Rosina Tucker's own words from her autobiography show her spirit: "Thus, while I live, let not my life be in vain, and when I depart, may there be remembrances of me and my life as I have lived it." There was a strong feeling of pride and admiration for Rosina Tucker's dedication. Her work helped determine almost 70 years of political and social struggles for African American citizens to finally gain equal rights.
Awards and Honors for Rosina Tucker
- She received a Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1983.
- The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights honored her.
- She was added to the D.C. Women's Hall of Fame in 1993.
- The annual Rosina Tucker Award from the A. Philip Randolph Institute is named after her.
