A. Philip Randolph

Trailer for the documentary Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle. Miles of Smiles tells the untold story of the Pullman porters who organized America s first Black trade union the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. But this inspiring film addresses larger issues of work, race and dignity and provides one of the few accounts of African American life between the Civil War and the modern Civil Rights movement. Miles of Smiles is crafted from the historical records, movies and photos, but mostly the reminiscences of eight retired porters. The narrator is the remarkable Rosina Tucker, a 100-year old porter's widow and union organizer. Aboard an old Pullman car sitting ghostlike on an overgrown siding, the porters reenact how they gave smiling service night and day. But these 'miles of smiles' disguised a monumental organizing effort. After a 12-year struggle, the Pullman Company caved in to the porters, led by A. Philip Randolph. In 1937, the company signed the first labor agreement ever with Black workers. The Brotherhood soon became a training ground for Black leaders - from World War II to the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott to the 1963 March on Washington.

Positive Negatives -- A photographer with over half a century of experience, David Johnson has the distinction of being Ansel Adam s first African American student at the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA), now known as the venerable San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). After graduating from CSFA David Johnson went on to establish his own studio on Fillmore Street diligently documenting the development of the neighborhood during the 40 s, 50 s, & 60 s. David Johnson combined his professional training as a photographer and personal interest in music to visually record the heydays of the Fillmore s clubs, dance halls and way of life. His work has been published in books such as Harlem of the West- as well as the KQED documentary The Fillmore. Another significant component of his work is his documentation of the civil rights movement in San Francisco, the NAACP registration drives, including the March on Washington. Included in Johnson s artistic vision was his desire to depict people positively in the presence of discrimination, thus capturing the emotions of the Civil Rights movement. His most published works are his images of ordinary African Americans, children and adults, going about the mundane routines, rites and rituals. He is likewise noted for photographing important African Americans. He has captured Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshal, A. Philip Randolph, ball player Jackie Robinson, poet Langston Hughes and musical icons Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt, and T. Bone Walker. In addition to the influence of his teacher Ansel Adams, he cites his mentors Minor White & Ruth Bernhard. His work draws upon iconic photographers of the 20th century, Imogene Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Edward Weston, and Homer Paige. Now in his 80 s, David Johnson still actively photographs his everyday world. He lives and works in the Bay Area.