Today marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. Dr. King was in Tennessee to amplify the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike after two sanitation workers were crushed to death during work. More than 1300 AFSCME members had been picketing and marching holding, now iconic placards that read, “I Am A Man.” They were demanding rights, protections, and dignity on the job and in their southern city.

One of WILL Empower’s sponsoring organizations, Georgetown University’s Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor, was pleased recently to co-host a film viewing and discussion of At the River I Stand. The documentary tells the story of this strike that was a critical moment of the civil rights movement, as it drew together the movement for labor rights and economic dignity with the struggle for equal rights and justice for black Americans. We invite you to view this film as an important part of civil rights and labor history.

WILL Empower remembers the life and legacy of Dr. King as a “drum major for justice,” and we know that the fight must go on. The Janus v. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court case threatens to take away the right of public sector unions to automatically collect dues from union members. This would greatly impact their ability to represent their membership and build power. A recent report indicates that Black women would be most affected by the weakening of public sector unions. When the labor movement is under attack, it is imperative that we “Stand Up, Fight Back!”

WILL Empower is currently accepting applications for the Innovative Women’s Fellowship. We are looking for proposals that present new ideas for building working people’s power in a time of enormous economic change and uncertainty. Proposals should demonstrate a commitment to racial justice, gender-inclusivity, and women. Applicants should have been working in the movement for at least two years. We invite you to submit a Letter of Interest and your resume by Friday, April 6th.

This is our time to proclaim “I Am A HuMan” and to move forward in the legacy of those who marched before us.

Sheri Davis-Faulkner is the Senior Program Director for WILL Empower with the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University.