It irritates me to think that sanitation workers have to work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King was killed in Memphis, Tenn.,
where he was to support the sanitation worker's strike:
During a heavy rainstorm in Memphis on February 1, 1968, two black
sanitation workers had been crushed to death when the compactor
mechanism of the trash truck was accidentally triggered. On the same
day in a separate incident also related to the inclement weather, 22
black sewer workers had been sent home without pay while their white
supervisors were retained for the day with pay. About two weeks later,
on February 12, more than 1,100 of a possible 1,300 black sanitation
workers began a strike for job safety, better wages and benefits, and
union recognition.
It seems to me that a story with working sanitation workers on Dr. King's birthday holiday would be a unique way to talk about his legacy.
Here is a Web site that tracks the history of MLK Day.
King may be known for his "I have a dream"...
