@thomrymer This was not intended to be a union song. It is not meant either to endorse or to discredit unionism. It's merely an account of a tragic, criminal incident and some of the brave people and stirring events surrounding that incident.
The Memphis Sanitation Worker's strike of 1968 was one of the sharpest nails pounded into Jim Crow's coffin. There's a lot of conflicting information concerning the support the AFL gave but it is certain that the local organized by the workers in 1964, AFSCME 1733, was not recognized by the city of Memphis. Hence the picket signs bore the simple message 'I Am A Man'.The song came from my (teenage) memory of events which took place in the spring not the summer as the song says. That's "folk"!
@thomrymer This was not intended to be a union song. It is not meant either to endorse or to discredit unionism. It's merely an account of a tragic, criminal incident and some of the brave people and stirring events surrounding that incident.
thomrymer 9 months ago
The Memphis Sanitation Worker's strike of 1968 was one of the sharpest nails pounded into Jim Crow's coffin. There's a lot of conflicting information concerning the support the AFL gave but it is certain that the local organized by the workers in 1964, AFSCME 1733, was not recognized by the city of Memphis. Hence the picket signs bore the simple message 'I Am A Man'.The song came from my (teenage) memory of events which took place in the spring not the summer as the song says. That's "folk"!
thomrymer 1 year ago
GREAT Song !! GREAT Montage !! SAD SAD Story !!
PMLG5 1 year ago