Memphis Honors a King

Memphis, Tennessee

On April 4, over 600 AFSCME members, city officials, religious leaders and members of the Memphis community came to pay tribute to the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 28th anniversary of his assassination. They filled the pews and balconies of the Clayborn-Ball Temple—and when there were no more seats, people crammed in along the back wall.

"We come to Memphis to recommit, to rededicate ourselves to the work of Dr. King," AFSCME Sec.-Treas. William Lucy told the crowd. King was killed in Memphis on April 4, 1968, while supporting the city's striking sanitation workers, members of AFSCME Local 1733.

Members had gathered at Local 1733 and marched to the church together, wearing AFSCME T-shirts and badges, and carrying green and white banners. Lucy, AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee and AFSCME International Vice Pres. Stephan Fantauzzo were also part of the march.

In his keynote address, McEntee spoke of King's fight for economic justice. In that tradition, he called upon workers to vote on November 5. "We must give our nation political leadership that believes in freedom and justice—not just for corporations, not just for extremists, but freedom and justice and dignity and fairness for all."

The mayor of Memphis also spoke, as did several area ministers, Local 1733 Pres. Willie Joe Alexander and Local 1733 Exec. Director Dorothy Crook. Other AFSCME-sponsored events commemorating the anniversary included an academic scholarship to LeMoyne Owen College, a profile of AFSCME Local 1733's adoption of a local school and a ceremony recognizing outstanding AFSCME stewards and chapter chairs. The ceremony honored Stewards Mary Morrow, Jerry Nichols, Alton Jones and Willie Clemmons, as well as Chapter Chairs Alfred Dowdy, Mary Harris, Johnny Dansberry and Joyce Fletcher.