Dr. King was in Memphis to support the sanitation workers' strike, 1,300 men represented by AFSCME Local 1733 who walked off the job after two of their co-workers died in a preventable workplace accident.  

The civil rights movement and the labor movement have always been two sides of the same coin. No event in our history demonstrates this more than the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike.

That's why AFSCME is proud to release "I AM Story,” a new podcast that traces the arc of the Memphis sanitation workers — from 1968 to today. You can listen right now on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I’m honored to share this podcast with you now, on the 55th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. There has been so much progress over the years, but workers organizing today still confront racial and economic injustice — and can still find inspiration in the courage of the sanitation workers and Dr. King. So, we must never forget the Memphis sanitation strike and the meaning behind the words, "I AM A MAN."

We are proud to tell this story and to carry the legacy of this strike forward. Listen to the first episode now.

In solidarity,

Lee Saunders
AFSCME President