Moving On
This chapter focuses on Richard Durham's efforts to find a new home for Destination Freedom once it ended its run at NBC. Perhaps inspired by his involvement with the Du Bois Theater Guild, Durham planned on writing “a major play” about Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman. When NBC and the WMAQ radio station announced that they were reviving Durham's Destination Freedom series without his consent or input, Durham filed a lawsuit. Also during this time, his and Clarice's small apartment occasionally served as a gathering place for his politically active friends, including members of the United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA). In the UPWA's Anti-Discrimination Department, Durham found an outlet for his crusading desire to eradicate inequality and promote justice. He also championed women's rights issues. When the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), UPWA's parent organization, engaged in merger negotiations with the American Federation of Labor (AFL), Durham was able to set up the election of several black officials to the merged leadership.