What happened to the sanitation workers in Memphis?

On 1 February 1968, two Memphis garbage collectors, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning truck. Conditions for black sanitation workers worsened when Henry Loeb became mayor in January 1968.

What was the result of the Memphis sanitation strike?

The deaths served as a breaking point for more than 1,300 African American men from the Memphis Department of Public Works as they demanded higher wages, time and a half overtime, dues check-off, safety measures, and pay for the rainy days when they were told to go home.

Why were the sanitation workers striking in Memphis in 1968?

On February 12, 1968, 1,300 Black sanitation workers in Memphis began a strike to demand better working conditions and higher pay. Their stand marked an early fight for financial justice for workers of color as part of the civil rights movement. The strike also drew Martin Luther King, Jr.

Why were the sanitation workers in Memphis upset?

On February 12, 1968, sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, began a labor strike to protest unfair wages, unsafe working conditions, and the city’s refusal to recognize their sanitation workers union.

Why was Martin Luther King in Memphis?

Early in the evening on April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped out onto the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. King was in Memphis as part of his “Poor People’s Campaign.” He was fighting for better housing, wages, workplace safety and schools for the underprivileged.

What is the name of the last speech MLK delivered?

I’ve Been to the Mountaintop
“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” is the popular name of the last speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. King spoke on April 3, 1968, at the Mason Temple (Church of God in Christ Headquarters) in Memphis, Tennessee.

What actions did Martin Luther King Jr take to fight discrimination?

Over the following decade, King wrote, spoke and organized nonviolent protests and mass demonstrations to draw attention to racial discrimination and to demand civil rights legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans.

What American civil rights leader did Gandhi inspire?

Martin Luther King Jr.
Gandhi organized peaceful protests against British rule. He inspired people all over the world, including civil rights leaders in the United States. One of the most famous people he inspired was Martin Luther King Jr. The two men never got a chance to meet.

What was Martin Luther King doing in Memphis when he was shot?

King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, in support of striking African-American city sanitation workers. The workers had staged a walkout on February 11, 1968, to protest unequal wages and working conditions imposed by mayor Henry Loeb.

Who invited MLK to Memphis?

Rev. James Lawson, chairman of the strategy committee for the group Community on the Move for Equality (COME), has extended an invitation to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Laureate and noted civil rights leader, to come to Memphis in support of the sanitation workers currently on strike.

What did Martin Luther King say about the mountaintop?

We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind.

What did MLK mean by I’ve been to the mountaintop?

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” is the popular name of the last speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. King calls for unity, economic actions, boycotts, and nonviolent protest, while challenging the United States to live up to its ideals.

When was the Memphis sanitation workers strike in 1968?

Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike. Event. February 12, 1968 to April 16, 1968. The night before his assassination in April 1968, Martin Luther King told a group of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee: “We’ve got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end.

What did Martin Luther King say to sanitation workers in 1968?

The night before his assassination in April 1968, Martin Luther King told a group of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee: “We’ve got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We’ve got to see it through” (King, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” 217).

Why did the sanitation workers go on strike?

Spurred by the gruesome deaths of two African American sanitation workers, sanitation employees went on strike for higher wages, better working conditions, and union recognition. The strike received national attention and attracted civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., to Memphis.

How did the Memphis sanitation workers get paid?

The families of the workers received only token payments from the city government who said that the employees were not covered by Tennessee’s workmen’s compensation law.