Instruct students to read quotes from Pullman Porters.  

As they read, have students gather the following information:

• What tasks did Porters perform on the job?
• How did Porters contribute to the African American community?
• In what ways was being a Pullman Porter a “good” job?
• In what ways was being a Pullman Porter a “bad” job?

Next, assign students to small groups to discuss the questions below using their notes and specific evidence from the documents.

• Was being a Pullman Porter a good job? Why or why not? What makes something a “good job?”
• George M. Pullman, the founder and head of the Pullman Company, intentionally recruited workers for the sleeping cars who were from the Deep South and/or who had been formerly enslaved.  Based on your answers above, why might Pullman have chosen this strategy to find Porters and Maids?
• How do the quotes from Pullman Porters and Maids compare to the images from the Gallery Walk? What do you think might account for any differences you find in tone?