Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated 43 years ago today in Memphis where he was working in support of labor rights for sanitation workers. King, an African-American civil rights leader five years earlier had led the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.
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The day before he was shot to death, King had received a bomb threat and talked about it in a speech now known as his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address, the last paragraph stating,
“And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don’t know what will happen now. 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. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
Union workers today are planning marches in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, several cities in Wisconsin, and other cities across the country, including Trenton, NJ.
Stating, “workers’ rights and civil rights are inseparable,” Lee Saunders, the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, said.
In August a four-acre memorial to him will officially open on the Washington Mall.
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Martin Luther, King, Jr.’s name is synonymous with non-violent civil rights activism. King, who was born on January 15, 1929, was shot down at 6:01 p.m. April 4, 1968. He died one hour later, at the age of 39.
There are those who say the LGBTQ movement has “co-opted†the African-American civil rights movement. I say, civil rights are civil rights. Many others agree. We should honor those who came before us in our common struggle to gain equality. Today, we honor the memory and the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.