1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike: A Defining Moment in Civil Rights History The 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, ultimately leading to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech and his assassination the following day. Background of the Strike 📌 Date: Began on February 12, 1968 📌 Cause: Poor wages, unsafe working conditions, and racial discrimination against Black sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee 📌 Slogan: “I AM A MAN” The strike started after the tragic deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker, two Black sanitation workers who were crushed in a faulty garbage truck. The city’s refusal to provide better wages and safe working conditions sparked a mass protest by 1,300 Black sanitation workers. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Involvement 🔹 Dr. King arrived in Memphis to support the striking workers, seeing their struggle as part of his Poor People’s Campaign—a movement demanding economic justice for all. 🔹 On ...