Beaten in the Year of the Advent Facing Racial Injustice on Public Transport (Part 1)
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February 5, 2021
This series will highlight the experiences of three African American Adventists who faced racial injustice in America while taking public transportation. Each of them reacted differently and got different results. Read Part 2 here.
Jabez Pitt Campbell stepped up to the counter to purchase a train ticket to Philadelphia. It was the afternoon of Wednesday, March 26, 1843, and the 28-year-old Black pastor was travelling from his home in Providence, Rhode Island, to preach in the City of Brotherly Love. The train would leave from Jersey City, make several stops, the longest in Trenton, and finally reach Philadelphia. Campbell handed the ticket agent the fare of $4 and asked if he could have a comfortable seat. The agent quickly assured him that no one paid more than $4 and Campbell would “be as well accommodated as any other gentleman.” Campbell smiled, thanked t