Georgia Letter

The plight of middle- and upper-class African Americans on Georgia railways and in public accommodations is briefly addressed in this report from Savannah, Georgia.

GEORGIA LETTER

Colored People and Railroad Abuses

Savannah, March 26. - Among the Negro cheating corporations of this State may be mentioned the railroads, principle of which are the Georgia Central Railway and the Georgia Railway. A colored gentleman or lady is not allowed to take passage in the first-class coaches on either of these railroads, even if they have secured a first-class ticket. A very dirty cab, or cattle car, is provided for the colored people, and if they refuse to ride in the same, they need not ride at all.

Attempts have been made by quite a number of the leading colored citizens of Savannah and Augusta to ride in the first-class coaches, after purchasing first-class tickets, but hey were most disgracefully ejected by order of the conductors who are deputized as railway policemen by the State. Almost in every instance, suits for damages have been brought against the companies in the United States Courts, but as usual, the decisions have been in favor of the railway companies, who either have the court and jury "bribed" or the administration "gagged."

When colored people attend the theatres or circus in Georgia, they are forced to sit apart from the whites, although the same admission fee is paid. In many cases the space set apart for colored people in the different Georgia theatres is unfit for ladies and we regret very much indeed to note how freely they pay the last penny in many instances to sit in such degraded places