06/05/2024
THE STAR CARS. The NEW ORLEANS TRIBUNE. May 4, 1867. 88 years before Rosa Parks and 25 years before Homer Plessy, Black New Orleanians fought for the right to ride. In the spring of 1867, the NEW ORLEANS TRIBUNE issued a series of stinging editorials declaring war on the city’s segregated streetcar system. Anger had grown over forcing Blacks to use a small fleet of cars marked with stars. Finally, on May 5, Blacks began boarding white only cars throughout the city. A day of sometimes violent fighting on the streetcars culminated with a massive demonstration on Rampart Street near Congo Square. Over 500 protestors gathered there, and many occupied white streetcars. Officials, taken aback by the militancy of the demonstrators and fearing a repeat of the Mechanics’ Institute Massacre, reluctantly decided to integrate the system. It was a huge victory for the TRIBUNE and the Black community.
THE STAR CARS. The NEW ORLEANS TRIBUNE. May 4, 1867.
"The star cars are still in existence. We purposely inquired yesterday of the President pro tem. of the City Railroad Company, how the matter stands. We were authoritatively informed that the star cars remain distinct from others, and expressly affected to colored persons, while the no-star care are set apart exclusively for white passengers. It is true that drivers have been instructed not to assault colored men, if found in white cars. But, at the same time, it is recommended not to start any such car in case colored persons should have entered them. This was practically enforced yesterday. Our friend P. Ducloslange, having entered car No. 55, of the St. Charles and Baronne street line, and having refused to leave it, was not assaulted, but the car was stopped and the driver refused on proceed on his way.
A similar experience was made by a number of colored persons on other lines, to a great cost of inconvenience and loss of time. We, therefore, friendly advise our contemporary of the Republican, who says that he “has corrected one abuse, and he will now turn his attention to others” that he will have to fight yet, if he wish to correct the evil at all. The desire of our contemporary had the better of his judgment. The Times was well informed, yesterday morning, when saying: “The statement that drivers are permitted to allow persons of color to ride in cars not marked with a star, seems to be erroneous. No such order has been given. The cars marked with a star are expressly set apart for colored people, and all others, by a rule of the corporation, are exclusively for white persons.”
This is the correct statement. The star car system is in force today as much as it was last week, last month, and last year. The victory is not yet won; the evil IS NOT corrected. It will only disappear when the stars shall be erased from the colored cars, and when the public shall be officially informed by the company that all distinction is abolished. Then, and not until then, colored men will ride in all cars safely and unmolested. Have we reached that point? Manifestly not. And should the Republican “correct” other evils in the same evil in the same manner that he has “corrected” this one, the colored people of New Orleans will not be under very great obligations to him.
We do not allow ourselves to be deceived with allegations and words. We want facts. The TRIBUNE was fighting for this car question years before the Republican was in existence. In April and December, 1865, in May and June, 1866, we brought this question before the public and the authorities. In may last year, a committee was appointed and a subscription taken up to test the question. This movement had been started by the TRIBUNE. From Gen. Hurlbut’s administration down to Gen. Sheridan’s, we have applied to the military to abolish that absurd distinction. The conclusion we had come to was that the distinction will disappear only when the colored man will be in power, or when a civil action will be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the Civil Rights Bill."
