Martin Luther King Jr. leads a march in support of striking Memphis sanitation workers that is disrupted by violence, deepening the crisis that drew him back to the city.
At a Glance
- Date
- 28 March 1968
- Location
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Key people
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Category
- Civil Rights Movement
- Source
- Contemporary press (1968) · Stanford King Institute
What It Meant Then
It tested King's nonviolent strategy amid rising militancy.
What It Means Now
He would return to Memphis days later and be assassinated.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “King Leads the Memphis Sanitation March.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/king-leads-the-memphis-sanitation-march/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). King Leads the Memphis Sanitation March. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/king-leads-the-memphis-sanitation-march/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “King Leads the Memphis Sanitation March.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/king-leads-the-memphis-sanitation-march/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.