I AM

 A MAN

" I Am A Man " Poster In March 1968, after the accidental deaths of

two local African-American sanitation workers, the black community

in Memphis, Tennessee prepared a major strike to fight for their right

to unionize.  Placards bearing the words "I Am A Man" in bold red

letters were printed for the sanitation workers strike, which was held

on April 3rd.  It was there, before the 1,300 workers gathered at the

Mason Temple in Memphis, that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. 

delivered his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech. The 

following day, the civil rights icon was assassinated. Dr. King's 

riveting final speech and the memory of the posters bearing the 

words "I Am A Man" continue to inspire civil rights activists.