The Memphis church pivotal in Martin Luther King Jr.'s final days suffers a devastating fire
Source: AP
In this April 8, 1968, file photo, people gather at the Clayborn Temple as they prepare to march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tenn., four days after the civil rights leader was assassinated. (AP Photo/File)
Updated 1:45 PM EDT, April 28, 2025
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A historic Black church in downtown Memphis that was the organizing point for Martin Luther King Jr.'s final campaign in 1968 caught fire early Monday morning and suffered significant damage.
“The inside is a total loss, but we’re still somewhat hopeful that some of the facade will be able to be left standing,” Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat said at a Monday morning news conference. She said the fire was reported at 1:39 a.m. through a commercial alarm service. Local fire and police officers are investigating the cause, along with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is “way too early” to know anything more, Sweat said.
King was drawn to Memphis in 1968 to support some 1,300 predominantly Black sanitation workers who went on strike to protest inhumane treatment. Two workers had been crushed in a garbage compactor in 1964, but the faulty equipment had not been replaced. On Feb. 1, 1968, two more men, Echol Cole, 36, and Robert Walker, 30, were crushed in the compactor. The two men were contract workers, so they did not qualify for workmen’s compensation, and had no life insurance.
Workers wanted to unionize, and fought for higher pay and safer working conditions. City officials declared the strike illegal and arrested scores of strikers and protesters.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/memphis-clayborn-temple-church-king-fire-f135b6dfb115d4daeab9adaa35968ef4
This is so sad.
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