Merge pull request #1653 from lparsons/bhm-2025-randolph

Added Black History Month post for A. Phillip Randolph

Author: crd477

_posts/2025-01-31-randolph.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "US-RSE Celebrates Black History Month"
+tags: [dei, black-history]
+author: Cordero Core
+date: 2025-01-31
+---
+
+[*Originally post on
+Medium*](https://medium.com/@cdcore/a-philip-randolph-the-brotherhood-of-sleeping-car-porters-and-the-invisible-labor-of-research-6546aa5716fb)
+
+![A. Phillip Randolph]({{ site.baseurl }}/assets/img/bhm-2025-randolph.png "A.
+Phillip Randolph in front of the Lincoln Memorial"){: width="400" }
+
+### A. Philip Randolph, The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and the Invisible Labor of Research Software Engineers
+
+In 1925, A. Philip Randolph took on a challenge that many deemed
+impossible - organizing Black railroad porters into a union that would demand
+fair wages, humane working conditions, and respect. The Brotherhood of Sleeping
+Car Porters and Maids became the first Black-led union to receive a charter
+from the American Federation of Labor, marking a pivotal moment in American
+labor history. Randolph understood something profound: labor, especially Black
+labor, was often unseen, undervalued, and dismissed. But through organization
+and collective action, the invisible could be made visible.
+
+Nearly a century later, a different kind of labor remains invisible - the work
+of research software engineers (RSEs). They build the code that powers modern
+scientific discovery, yet many find themselves in an ambiguous space within
+academia and research institutions. Their contributions are fundamental, but
+their labor often goes unrecognized in publications, funding structures, and
+career pathways. This is not a coincidence. It is part of a larger historical
+pattern.
+
+---
+
+### The Unseen Hands that Move the World
+
+The sleeping car porters were integral to the expansion of American rail
+travel. They worked long hours under harsh conditions, often relying on tips
+rather than wages. They were expected to be invisible - to perform their work
+without complaint, to make passengers comfortable, and to disappear into the
+background. But their impact on American society was immense.
+
+Research software engineers may not work on railroads, but their labor carries
+a similar paradox. They enable science to move forward - writing software that
+models climate change, processes astronomical data, and deciphers genetic
+codes. Yet, the very institutions that benefit from their labor often fail to
+formally recognize them. Many RSEs are classified as temporary workers,
+postdocs, or "other support staff," despite their indispensable role in
+research.
+
+Randolph understood that change would not come from individual effort
+alone - it required collective organization. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
+Porters became a vehicle for economic mobility, civil rights, and structural
+change. Today, the US Research Software Engineer (US-RSE) community is doing
+similar work, advocating for the formal recognition of RSEs in academia and
+pushing for career paths that respect the reality of their contributions.
+
+---
+
+### The Power of Naming and Recognition
+
+One of Randolph's greatest victories was securing the term "Brotherhood" in the
+name of the union. To be recognized as part of an organized workforce rather
+than just "servants" was revolutionary. Naming something - calling it what it
+is - is an act of power.
+
+![Railroad workers]({{ site.baseurl }}/assets/img/bhm-2025-randolph-2.png
+"Photo of two rows of railroad workers")
+
+In research, the term Research Software Engineer did not exist in widespread
+use until the past decade. Before that, individuals who wrote software for
+research were often called "computational scientists," "programmers," or simply
+"support staff." The adoption of RSE as a professional title mirrors the
+struggle of the porters: to be named is to be seen. To be seen is to demand
+recognition.
+
+For many RSEs, their work is not just a technical function - it is a form of
+advocacy. They fight for open-source software, for better funding models, for
+institutional recognition. Just as the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters laid
+the groundwork for Black labor organizing, today's RSEs are building the
+foundation for future generations of software engineers in research.
+
+---
+
+### Labor is Political
+
+Randolph understood that labor and civil rights were inseparable. He was not
+just organizing workers - he was challenging the racial and economic systems
+that shaped their exploitation. His work directly contributed to the broader
+Black freedom struggle, including the 1963 March on Washington, which he
+co-organized.
+
+The fight for recognition in research may seem different, but it is no less
+political. It is about who gets to claim credit for discovery, who receives
+funding, and who has the stability to build long-term careers in science. Many
+RSEs, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, face additional
+barriers in these spaces. Their work is essential, yet they often find
+themselves excluded from the power structures that shape research priorities.
+
+Randolph did not accept invisibility as fate. Neither should research software
+engineers.
+
+---
+
+### The Path Forward
+
+As we mark the 100th anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and
+Maids, it is worth reflecting on what labor advocacy means today. RSEs, like
+the porters before them, are shaping the future through unseen, undervalued
+labor. Their work is critical, their contributions are real, and their fight
+for recognition is just beginning.
+
+![Black History Month Logo]({{ site.baseurl
+}}/assets/img/bhm-2025-randolph-3.png "Celebrating the Past, Looking Toward the
+Future, Black History Month")
+
+Randolph believed in the power of organizing, in the necessity of solidarity.
+The US-RSE community stands as a modern parallel - advocating for fair labor
+practices, recognition, and inclusion. The lesson from history is clear: no
+labor is truly invisible unless we allow it to be.
+
+If research software engineers continue to build, organize, and demand
+recognition, they - like Randolph and the Brotherhood - will shape a future
+where their labor is seen, valued, and honored.
+
+---
+
+Stay tuned, share your thoughts, and be part of the conversation. How has
+invisible labor shaped your field? Let's make history visible - together.
+
+Join us on Slack in the
+[`#dei-discussion`](https://usrse.slack.com/archives/C01C8CJQ7AP) channel.