Jim Crow Streetcars

A reader of the Planet gives “all honor and praise to the people who have stood by so firm and thereby demonstrated their right to be treated as men aud as citizens and taxpayers of the old and renowned commonwealth of Virginia” by staying off street cars.

Mr. Editor:
When I remember how three months ago, the 20th of last month, the Jim Crow street-car regulations were put in force by the Va. P. and P. Co in this city. Manchester and Petersburg, and how the colored people are almost firm today in their resolution not to submit to those regulations as they were the first day they went into effect, I am constrained to give all honor and praise to the people who have stood by so firm and thereby demonstrated their right to be treated as men and as citizens and taxpayers of the old and renowned commonwealth of Virginia.
But, by the same token, what must be said of the leaders? At the first blush, they gathered together and raised a standard. They called on the people to come up to and be guided by that standard. The people came at their call and loyally have they stood shoulder to shoulder under that standard, vainly looking around for a sight and listening to hear the encouraging and instructive voice of those leaders.
Mr. Editor,we are more than willing to be guided by our leaders, but they must show themselves as loyal to us as we are to them. Are we going to fight this proposition of the streetcar company, to degrade us, to a finish or are we to give it up and submit as they predicted that we would? And if we are going to prosecute the light to the bitter end, shall we see our leaders in the front ot the fight-calling us to "come on" or shall we not see them at all and only hear someone say that the leaders say "go on? "
I hope there will be no misunderstanding between the pulpit and the press; for these are our natural leaders and we want none better. lt that leaders are agreed, they will lead the people to success. But if there be discord between the leaders, all will be lost. And if in this case is all lost, they-the leaders will certainly reap their fall share of the blame, as also will they have their full share of the glory and honor If success is attained. If there ever was a time to stand firm, it is how.
Recently, the Va. Passenger A Pmv er Company as good as confessed judgement and asked Judge Waddill), a Federal judge to appoint Receivers for the company, which he did. At the same time proceedings were pending in the state court at Petersburg aud Judge Mullen has since granted the petition of Mr. Fisher to appoint Receivers for the Richmond branch of the company. All of which goes to prove the insolvency of the concern.
Now, if this corporation cannot operate its cars on a successful financial basis with the full patronage of all the citizens of the community, how in the name of common sense is it to be supposed that they can do so when about forty per cent of the said citizens are ostracised by the company and are standing off and refusing to patronize the cars in consequence of the said ostracism by the streetcar company?
I tell you, Mr. E dtor, I believe that no people contending for their rights ever was so near to the attainment of them as the colored people of Richmond are to-day.
The argument of the empty seats on the street-care (and there are plenty of them) plead for us far more eloquently than argument we can produce. Just let those seats remain empty. Let the colored people go out, showing their capacity to walir, and here long there will come, unsolicited, a modification of the Jim Crow regulations. But our leaders must do their duty. The people are looking to them and they should not be allowed to look in vain.
Respectfully, Eva.

“Jim Crow Streetcars,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed March 15, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/659.