Fifty years ago on March 28, the Memphis sanitation workers marched to have their voices heard and to ultimately receive a living wage. (c) Dr. Ernest C. Withers, Sr., WITHERS FAMILY TRUST
We could not let this year pass without commemorating it in a very special way for Dr. King and the 1968 Sanitation Workers while honoring my father's legacy in an epic reenactment photo shoot.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (PRWEB) April 03, 2018
Withers Collection Museum and Gallery will commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1968 Sanitation Workers with a reenactment of the iconic "I AM A MAN" photo, where men held signs expressing their dignity. The April 4th line-up for the photo shoot will start at Fourth and Beale, which is approximately 20 feet from Withers Collection Museum and Gallery and the home to the last photography studio of Dr. Ernest C. Withers. The photo shoot line-up will begin at 6 a.m. and the shoot will start at 8 a.m. Participants in the photo video shoot are invited to merge into the Memphis American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1733's March to Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, where Dr. King gave his final speech, the prophetic "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech.
Tens of thousands of people will descend upon Memphis to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Sanitation Workers Strike of 1968 and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Among the visitors will be celebrities, dignitaries, elected officials, industry executives, documentary film crews, and news crews from around the world, here to capture the commemoration events held between April 2-4 throughout the city. The "I AM A MAN" photo reenactment special guests include author and the original lead singer of The Bar-Kays, Larry Dodson; OWN hit TV series "Green Leaf" actress Kimberly Mays; author, entrepreneur and self-made millionaire Katrina Walker; and hosted by Michael Adrian Davis of The Voice of SCS 88.5 FM. The I AM A MAN Photo Re-enactment commemoration program which will be located on the main stage at the corner of Fourth Street and Beale Street from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. will include surprise celebrity guest appearances and special tribute performances.
"We could not let this year pass without commemorating it in a very special way for Dr. King, and the 1968 Sanitation Workers, while honoring my father's legacy in an epic reenactment photo shoot," said Withers Collection Museum and Gallery Executive Director Rosalind Withers.
This photo will be an aerial shot, overlooking historic Beale Street, directed by the granddaughter of Dr. Withers, Mrs. Eboni Bullard. The prestigious photo will make its international debut at the end of the new '68 I AM A MAN, feature film, executive produced by Southern Tales Entertainment and will be displayed permanently at the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery at 333 Beale Street, Memphis, TN.
"This is going to be a time in history that can be looked back on years from now and you will be able to say, 'I was there.' We are inviting everyone to make plans now to take their place in history," said Christopher Gray, president of Southern Tales Entertainment, producer and writer of '68 I AM A MAN.
Dr. King led many marches seeking equality and justice for African Americans and poor people in 1968, but the Sanitation Workers Strike of 1968 was arguably the most significant. The original 1,300 sanitation workers had no idea their quest for fair wages and demand for humane working conditions would globally change the trajectory for the civil rights movement. Dr. Withers' famous "I AM A MAN" photograph of the Memphis sanitation workers' march told the story. Fifty years later, this iconic picture continues to tell the story of the struggle for human rights and civil rights all over the world.
Individuals and groups can register online at 2018mlk50.com for the photo shoot or call 901-523-2344 for more information. To learn more about Withers Collection Museum and Gallery visit the website http://www.thewitherscollection.com.
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Sheri Neely
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