Solon C. Bell was a union leader in the United States representing African American railroad workers. In the 1930s his actions helped unionize thousands of railroad employees. Bell and fellow organizer, Ishmael Flory, were accused of promoting communism by union leaders which resulted in them being fired and their establishment of the Dining Car and Railroad Food Workers' Union.[1] He was brought before a congressional committee investigating communist organizing.

He was[2] the president of the Dining Car and Railroad Food Workers' Union.[3] Prior to being discharged in 1947 after witnesses accused him of being a communist organizer among railroadmen, he was a union leader of hotel workers and bartenders[4] and chairman of the Joint Council of Dining Car Employees Unions which consisted of dining car unions under the jurisdiction of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union.[5][6] He refused to answer questions from a United States Senate committee investigating subversive activities and minor charges were brought against him, but he was not sentenced.[7]

His wife, Ida Roberta Bell (July 3, 1904 – 1992) made dolls of prominent African American historical figures and used them to teach.[8][9][10] She was born in Nashville, Tennessee and Bell was also her maiden surname.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Arnesen, Eric (November 11, 2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-class History. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780415968263 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Carson, Jenny (2002). "Riding the Rails: Black Railroad Workers in Canada and the United States". Labour / Le Travail. 50: 275–295. doi:10.2307/25149282. JSTOR 25149282. S2CID 142635502 – via JSTOR page 18.
  3. ↑ "23 Nov 1951, Page 6 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Murray, Florence (November 11, 1949). "The Negro Handbook". Wendell Malliet – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Judiciary, United States Congress Senate Committee on the; Laws, United States Congress Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security (November 11, 1951). "Subversive Influence in the Dining Car and Railroad Food Workers Union". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "Traffic World: An Independent National Transportation Newsmagazine ..." Traffic Service Corporation. July 11, 1951 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Corker, Charles (November 11, 1955). "Digest of the Public Record of Communism in the United States". Fund for the Republic – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ Enthusiast, Black Doll (April 4, 2018). "Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black: Life Began for Her at 65, I. Roberta Bell Part 1 of 3".
  9. ↑ "Black Heritage". S. C. Watkins. November 11, 1980 – via Google Books.
  10. ↑ Herron, R. Lane (November 11, 1979). Much Ado about Dolls: A Beginner's Guide to Doll Collecting. Wallace-Homestead Book Company. ISBN 9780870692772 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ Hine, Darlene Clark (November 11, 1986). "The Black Women in the Middle West Project: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, Illinois and Indiana : Historical Essays, Oral Histories, Biographical Profiles, and Document Collections". Indiana Historical Bureau – via Google Books.


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