Exhibit 1 in City of Memphis vs. Martin Luther King., et. al.
1968
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This flier was entered as an exhibit in the court case City of Memphis vs. Martin Luther King, Jr., et. al. It was distributed to sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, asking them to "March for Justice and Jobs." Included are directions for the route to be followed and instructions to the marchers to use "soul-force which is peaceful, loving, courageous, yet militant."
King and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had gone to Memphis, Tennessee, in late April 1968 to support a group of black sanitation workers who were on strike for better wages and working conditions. The strike began on February 11, 1968, after Echol Cole and Robert Walker were crushed to death in a garbage compactor accident. Over 1,300 black men fought against years of mistreatment by the officials at the Memphis Department of Public Works during this strike. King was there to support their cause. He addressed their concerns in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech at the Mason Temple on the evening of April 3, 1968. The following day, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated as he stood on the balcony at the Lorraine Motel.
King and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had gone to Memphis, Tennessee, in late April 1968 to support a group of black sanitation workers who were on strike for better wages and working conditions. The strike began on February 11, 1968, after Echol Cole and Robert Walker were crushed to death in a garbage compactor accident. Over 1,300 black men fought against years of mistreatment by the officials at the Memphis Department of Public Works during this strike. King was there to support their cause. He addressed their concerns in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech at the Mason Temple on the evening of April 3, 1968. The following day, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated as he stood on the balcony at the Lorraine Motel.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 279325
Full Citation: Exhibit 1 in City of Memphis vs. Martin Luther King; 1968; City of Memphis vs Martin Luther King, Jr., et. al., Civil C-68-80; Civil Cases, 1/1965 - 12/1975; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at Atlanta, Morrow, GA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/exhibit-1-memphis-vs-mlk, June 19, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
