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Online Event: The Pullman Porters and Handmaidens

Riding the Railroad Series

Professional genealogist Devra Harney tells the story of the men and women who worked on trains as Pullman Porters and Maids, highlighting the story of two men at war for their individual causes. One who was instrumental in building a railroad empire and the other who championed equality for the men and women working for the railroads. Registration is required. Zoom link will be emailed to registrants within 24 hours of the event start time. For more information, please contact 305-375-5572 or email specialcollections@mdpls.org. Ages 18 yrs.+

Presented by the Special Collections & Archives Division of the Miami-Dade Public Library System, located at the Main Library.

About the Program

Professional genealogist Devra Harney tells her personal story of the men and women who worked on trains as Pullman Porters and Maids. These men and women ensured that white passengers were comfortable as they traveled by rail. She explores their treatment, how they coped with discrimination and insults, and how they obtained the means to perform and keep their jobs.

She also shares the story of two men at war for their individual causes. One man who was instrumental in building a railroad empire and the other man who, at the beginning of Civil Rights in America, championed equality for the men and women working for the railroads.

Learn who won the war.

About the Presenter

Devra Harney is a Professional Genealogist specializing in the states of Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee, with special emphasis on Black American research including enslavement and the United States railroads.

Devra has been volunteering as a researcher at the Latter-Day-Saints (LDS) Family History Library located in Conyers, GA since 2000. On behalf of the Rockdale-Newton County Genealogy Society (RNCGS), Devra was instrumental in partnering with FamilySearch.org to have records dating back to 1870 digitized for public use. She was also one of the volunteers to assist with the relocation of the Institute of Genealogical and History Research (IGHR) from Sanford University, Birmingham, Alabama to University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. Devra also volunteers in other areas of interest including the Pullman Train Porters and Maids and Black cemeteries and churches.

Devra's experience includes performing research for “Finding Your Roots" on PBS, heir research, and facilitating genealogy workshops. She also runs a Special Interest Group to assist those interested in joining the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution (SAR/DAR). 

She sits on the Board of the Rockdale-Newton County Genealogical Society (RNCGS) as Vice-President. She is also a member of the Georgia, Augusta, Central Florida, Giles County and Franklin County Genealogical Societies; National and Atlanta Chapters of Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS); National Genealogical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage.

About the Special Collections and Archives Division

The Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Special Collections & Archives Division preserves and provides access to rare and historically significant materials for the public and scholarly community. Its diverse holdings include the Helen Muir Florida Collection, the 16mm Film Collection, the Cuban Collection of Rare Books & Ephemera, the Genealogy Collection, and rare and antiquarian books dating back to the 17th century. The Division also manages the Library’s Permanent Art Collection, which features over 7,000 works displayed across library locations, and The Vasari Project, dedicated to documenting Miami-Dade County’s art history since 1945. Committed to accessibility, it offers materials for viewing and research both in person and online through the Digital Collection, which includes more than 40 freely accessible collections, featuring materials from the Library as well as contributions from outside collaborators and partner institutions. Spanning rare books, manuscripts, photographs, prints, paintings, sculptures, artifacts, audiovisual resources, and electronic media, these collections ensure that Miami-Dade County’s rich history, artistic legacy, and cultural heritage remain available to all.

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