Civil rights: Memphis sanitation strikers to receive compensation

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Memphis in 1968 to support black sanitation workers who were on strike for nearly two months to protest working conditions.

On April 3, King delivered his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. On April 4, he was assassinated.

The strike ended shortly after King’s death, but those who participated have fought decades for compensation.

According to the New York Times, sanitation workers of the 1960s have long faced a gap between their retirement benefits and those of other city workers. For Elmore Nickleberry, that means he continues to work at age 85.

But the city said this month it has come up with a fix for the gap.

ExploreFind out how Memphis will try to make things right for Nickleberry and the 13 other surviving members of the stike at myajc.com.

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