This rollicking, music-fueled trip back in time takes us into the luxurious Pullman trains of the 1930s, where the hidden lives of African American porters emerge to take center stage and classic Blues favorites—including “Sweet Home Chicago”—come to life.
It’s June of 1937, and the Panama Limited Pullman Train is speeding from Chicago to New Orleans on the night of the Joe Louis/James Braddock world heavyweight championship. Three generations of Sykes men—African American train porters—wrestle with ghosts of the past and dreams for the future as they eagerly await word of the Brown Bomber’s victory. Set to timeless Blues tunes performed by a live, on-stage band, Pullman Porter Blues is a spirited, music-infused ride you won’t soon forget!Reference: Pullman Porter Blues.
Working 400 hours, for $12, a month was an inequity in the 1930s. But porters on the Pullman trains were keen to work and provide for their families, and while they felt the blues, the blues as song uplifted them.
"Pullman Porter Blues" is quintessentially our story, not just for African Americans, but also perhaps for all the good, the bad, and the ugly that make up our story.
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