Something of an Expert

The assignment seemed pretty straightforward: Go to 30th Street Station, interview former Pullman Porters, put together a story. Not all that different from dozens of other pieces I’ve filed in almost eight years as a public radio reporter.

It was only later that I got my first inkling how unusual this assignment would be. “We’re trying for something … unconventional,” the producers said. “We’re sending someone to help you.”

That someone was Njeri Pollitt. While not a trained journalist, Njeri was something of an expert on the subject at hand. Her grandfather, Major Wade Douglas Carter, worked for decades as a Pullman Porter. So she’d grown up hearing stories about the job — both its charms and its challenges. That family history gave Njeri an instant connection with the porters that a curious outsider like me could only envy.

Actually, there was only one former porter at 30th Street Station that day. There were also three former waiters and cooks in attendance. All of the surviving Pullman employees were in their 80s and 90s, and all of them were obviously crazy about Njeri.

In a flurry of activity before and after the press conference, they were happy to pose for pictures with Njeri. They were delighted to sit and answer her questions, at length. And they were honest with her about what the job was like at a time when racism was an unabashed fact of American life.

Would I have gotten the same interviews from the former Pullman employees? Maybe, but I doubt it. I think Njeri’s empathy and enthusiasm were crucial ingredients in the final story. Something to think about on the way to my next press conference.

And something to listen for in the upcoming special on work from The Promised Land.