Government or official record
Martin Luther King, Jr., and Memphis Sanitation Workers
U.S. National Archives
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Social movements · 12 February–16 April 1968Open article references →
The Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike
Clayborn Temple and downtown march landscape · United States
Why editors use it hereFederal archival lesson with worker conditions, strike chronology, primary records, and King's role.
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Quick read
About 1,300 Black sanitation workers struck the City of Memphis in 1968 after workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker were crushed in a malfunctioning garbage truck.
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Trigger and conditions
On 12 February, workers from the public works department refused to report and sought recognition of AFSCME Local 1733.
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Uncertainty
Sources vary slightly on striker totals as participation changed.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Why it matters
The strike reframed refuse collection as essential skilled public service performed by workers entitled to safety and citizenship.
Reviewed 26 July 2026
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Quick read