Memphis sanitation workers' strike
E91336
The Memphis sanitation workers' strike was a pivotal 1968 labor and civil rights protest by Black sanitation workers demanding fair wages, safer working conditions, and recognition of their union, and is closely associated with Martin Luther King Jr.'s final campaign before his assassination.
Aliases (1)
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
civil rights protest
→
historical event → labor strike → |
| cause |
lack of union recognition
→
low wages for Black sanitation workers → racial discrimination in municipal employment → unsafe working conditions → |
| chronology |
occurred shortly before Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on 1968-04-04
→
|
| country |
United States
→
|
| endDate |
1968-04-16
→
|
| hasEffect |
improved working conditions for sanitation workers
→
strengthening of Black labor activism → union recognition for Memphis sanitation workers → wage increases for sanitation workers → |
| hasParticipant |
AFSCME Local 1733
→
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees → Black sanitation workers → City of Memphis NERFINISHED → James Lawson → Martin Luther King Jr. → Mayor Henry Loeb → Ralph Abernathy → Southern Christian Leadership Conference → |
| location |
Memphis, Tennessee
NERFINISHED
→
|
| motto |
I AM A MAN
→
|
| movement |
Civil Rights Movement
→
labor movement → |
| notableDocument |
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech
→
|
| notableProtestForm |
boycotts
→
marches → mass rallies → picket lines → |
| opposedBy |
City of Memphis administration
→
Mayor Henry Loeb → |
| relatedTo |
African-American labor history
→
Poor People's Campaign → public sector unionism in the United States → racial segregation in the United States → |
| significantEvent |
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
→
|
| significantPlace |
Beale Street
→
Clayborn Temple → Lorraine Motel → Mason Temple → |
| slogan |
I AM A MAN
→
|
| startDate |
1968-02-12
→
|
| supportedBy |
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
→
civil rights activists → local Black clergy → national labor organizations → |
| timePeriod |
1960s
→
|
Referenced by (2)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
National Civil Rights Museum
→
|
hasExhibitOn |
|
U.S. Civil Rights Trail
("Memphis sanitation strike sites")
→
|
hasPart |