The Editor’s Journey

John Mitchell, Jr., comments on railroad segregation, noting that he sees “passengers that are white and they look like they are colored,” while some labeled as “colored look like they are white.”

We left Richmond recently via So. R. R. Ample accommodations are provided for the colored travelers. A gentleman, who sat in the seat behind us enquired the name of the station which proved to be Amelia Court-house. Some time afterwards, we noticed that he was purchasing supplies from the fruit vender and he later informed us that he was going to Danville. Further than this, a conversation with him disclosed nothing and we abandoned the attempt to ascertain his business, although he seemed to be a minister.

It was some time afterwards that we missed him from the coach and the colored porter gave the information that he was in the other coach, which was for the white people. “You see,” said he, “it is just this way; we have to let them arrange for themselves. They see the sign and it tells which is the coach for the white and for the colored. We have some passengers that are white and they look like they are colored and some are colored, look like they are white.

We find it very embarrassing and we do not like to make a mistake. For this reason, we let them find seats for themselves. The gentleman who was in here looked like he was white, but there is a colored man right there who is just as white as he is. We can’t tell the difference,” he said in a low tone, “”and we let them select the car for themselves.”

“The Editor’s Journey,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 20, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/349.