The Memphis sanitation workers' strike was a pivotal event in Black history that took place in 1968. The strike began on February 11, when African American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, walked off the job in protest of unsafe working conditions, low wages, and discriminatory treatment. The workers, who were members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1733, were largely excluded from the benefits and protections granted to white employees.

The strike gained national attention when civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to Memphis to support the workers' cause. On April 3, 1968, King delivered his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech at Mason Temple in Memphis, expressing his solidarity with the striking workers and advocating for economic justice and racial equality.

Tragically, the next day, on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, sparking widespread outrage and grief. In the aftermath of King's assassination, the strike continued, and eventually, the city of Memphis reluctantly agreed to recognize the union, increase wages, and improve working conditions for the sanitation workers.

The Memphis sanitation workers' strike highlighted the intersecting issues of racial discrimination, economic inequality, and labor rights in the United States. It also underscored the importance of collective action and solidarity in the struggle for civil rights and social justice.