In early 1968 the grisly on-the-job deaths of two African-American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, prompted an extended strike by that city's segregated force of trash collectors.

Workers sought union protection, higher wages, improved safety, and the integration of their work force. Their work stoppage became a part of the larger civil rights movement and drew an impressive array of national movement leaders to Memphis, including, on more than one occasion, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

King added his voice to the struggle in what became the final speech of his life. His assassination in Memphis on April 4 not only sparked protests and violence throughout America; it helped force the acceptance of worker demands in Memphis. The sanitation strike ended eight days after King's death.

The connection between the Memphis sanitation strike and King's death has not received the emphasis it deserves, especially for younger readers. Marching to the Mountaintop explores how the media, politics, the Civil Rights Movement, and labor protests all converged to set the scene for one of King's greatest speeches and for his tragic death.

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From the Hardcover edition.

This book is part of a book series called History .

There are 112 pages in this book. This book was published 2017 by National Geographic Kids .

Ann Bausum is the daughter of a history professor, and she grew up with a love of American history and a passion for research. She is an award-winning author who has published six titles with National Geographic Children's Books, including the acclaimed Sibert Honor Book Freedom Riders. She lives in Beloit, WI. Visit Ann Bausum at her Web site: www. annbausum. com.