The states-wide strike will be held on Feb. 12. (Photo: Fight for $15/screenshot)
Feb 01, 2018
Fifty years after the sanitation workers in Memphis marched with Martin Luther King Jr. to demand higher wages and safer labor conditions, Fight for $15 and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber are planning a fast-food workers strike in two dozen cities across the Southern United States to advocate for racial justice and voting rights.
"There's no separation between the moral battle for voting rights and participation in democracy and the moral battle against systemic poverty. Those battles go together," said Barber, who last year revived King's Poor People's Campaign and has supported the Fight for $15 minimum wage movement.
In a statement announcing plans for the protests, which are scheduled for Feb. 12, Fight for $15 compared the plight of the sanitation workers 50 years ago to that of fast-food workers today. "Now, we carry on the same fight," the group declared. "In 1968, 40 percent of Memphis sanitation workers qualified for public assistance; in 2018, 52 percent of fast food workers are on public assistance."
While Barber and members of the new Poor People's Campaign will march in Memphis with 1968 sanitation workers as well as advocates for labor and civil rights, Fight for $15 is urging its supporters to organize events across the country.
"We're bringing two movements together--people fighting for a living wage, a lot of young people, along with poor people, moral leaders, people of faith," Barber told The Guardian. "We believe we can build a movement that can shift the narrative. Right now, we have an ugly narrative--'Elect me, I'll take away healthcare, I'll hurt the poor, and I'll give tax breaks to the wealthy.'"
Affiliated groups turned to social media Thursday to promote the states-wide strike:
\u201c50 years ago, black sanitation workers went on strike with MLK. The signs they carried boldly declared their humanity, saying, \u201cI AM A MAN.\u201d On, Feb. 12 the #FightFor15 will honor their legacy in a day of aciton. Make YOUR sign and we'll carry it with us: https://t.co/ggt6SarvZn\u201d— Fight For 15 (@Fight For 15) 1517493637
\u201c"On 12 Feb, hundreds of fast-food workers from around the south and across the US will converge on Memphis to march in honor of the 1968 strikers and to throw @fightfor15's support behind a renewed #PoorPeoplesCampaign, the movement King championed." https://t.co/fx6XJoP6oB\u201d— Poor People's Campaign (@Poor People's Campaign) 1517505689
\u201cAmazing news: @fightfor15 will partner with @RevDrBarber, @liztheo & #PoorPeoplesCampaign to organize a strike across the south.\n\nFast food companies have made billions by exploiting their employees. It's time to share that wealth.\nhttps://t.co/YOjBmrwx1B\u201d— Union Seminary (@Union Seminary) 1517510062
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Fifty years after the sanitation workers in Memphis marched with Martin Luther King Jr. to demand higher wages and safer labor conditions, Fight for $15 and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber are planning a fast-food workers strike in two dozen cities across the Southern United States to advocate for racial justice and voting rights.
"There's no separation between the moral battle for voting rights and participation in democracy and the moral battle against systemic poverty. Those battles go together," said Barber, who last year revived King's Poor People's Campaign and has supported the Fight for $15 minimum wage movement.
In a statement announcing plans for the protests, which are scheduled for Feb. 12, Fight for $15 compared the plight of the sanitation workers 50 years ago to that of fast-food workers today. "Now, we carry on the same fight," the group declared. "In 1968, 40 percent of Memphis sanitation workers qualified for public assistance; in 2018, 52 percent of fast food workers are on public assistance."
While Barber and members of the new Poor People's Campaign will march in Memphis with 1968 sanitation workers as well as advocates for labor and civil rights, Fight for $15 is urging its supporters to organize events across the country.
"We're bringing two movements together--people fighting for a living wage, a lot of young people, along with poor people, moral leaders, people of faith," Barber told The Guardian. "We believe we can build a movement that can shift the narrative. Right now, we have an ugly narrative--'Elect me, I'll take away healthcare, I'll hurt the poor, and I'll give tax breaks to the wealthy.'"
Affiliated groups turned to social media Thursday to promote the states-wide strike:
\u201c50 years ago, black sanitation workers went on strike with MLK. The signs they carried boldly declared their humanity, saying, \u201cI AM A MAN.\u201d On, Feb. 12 the #FightFor15 will honor their legacy in a day of aciton. Make YOUR sign and we'll carry it with us: https://t.co/ggt6SarvZn\u201d— Fight For 15 (@Fight For 15) 1517493637
\u201c"On 12 Feb, hundreds of fast-food workers from around the south and across the US will converge on Memphis to march in honor of the 1968 strikers and to throw @fightfor15's support behind a renewed #PoorPeoplesCampaign, the movement King championed." https://t.co/fx6XJoP6oB\u201d— Poor People's Campaign (@Poor People's Campaign) 1517505689
\u201cAmazing news: @fightfor15 will partner with @RevDrBarber, @liztheo & #PoorPeoplesCampaign to organize a strike across the south.\n\nFast food companies have made billions by exploiting their employees. It's time to share that wealth.\nhttps://t.co/YOjBmrwx1B\u201d— Union Seminary (@Union Seminary) 1517510062
Fifty years after the sanitation workers in Memphis marched with Martin Luther King Jr. to demand higher wages and safer labor conditions, Fight for $15 and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber are planning a fast-food workers strike in two dozen cities across the Southern United States to advocate for racial justice and voting rights.
"There's no separation between the moral battle for voting rights and participation in democracy and the moral battle against systemic poverty. Those battles go together," said Barber, who last year revived King's Poor People's Campaign and has supported the Fight for $15 minimum wage movement.
In a statement announcing plans for the protests, which are scheduled for Feb. 12, Fight for $15 compared the plight of the sanitation workers 50 years ago to that of fast-food workers today. "Now, we carry on the same fight," the group declared. "In 1968, 40 percent of Memphis sanitation workers qualified for public assistance; in 2018, 52 percent of fast food workers are on public assistance."
While Barber and members of the new Poor People's Campaign will march in Memphis with 1968 sanitation workers as well as advocates for labor and civil rights, Fight for $15 is urging its supporters to organize events across the country.
"We're bringing two movements together--people fighting for a living wage, a lot of young people, along with poor people, moral leaders, people of faith," Barber told The Guardian. "We believe we can build a movement that can shift the narrative. Right now, we have an ugly narrative--'Elect me, I'll take away healthcare, I'll hurt the poor, and I'll give tax breaks to the wealthy.'"
Affiliated groups turned to social media Thursday to promote the states-wide strike:
\u201c50 years ago, black sanitation workers went on strike with MLK. The signs they carried boldly declared their humanity, saying, \u201cI AM A MAN.\u201d On, Feb. 12 the #FightFor15 will honor their legacy in a day of aciton. Make YOUR sign and we'll carry it with us: https://t.co/ggt6SarvZn\u201d— Fight For 15 (@Fight For 15) 1517493637
\u201c"On 12 Feb, hundreds of fast-food workers from around the south and across the US will converge on Memphis to march in honor of the 1968 strikers and to throw @fightfor15's support behind a renewed #PoorPeoplesCampaign, the movement King championed." https://t.co/fx6XJoP6oB\u201d— Poor People's Campaign (@Poor People's Campaign) 1517505689
\u201cAmazing news: @fightfor15 will partner with @RevDrBarber, @liztheo & #PoorPeoplesCampaign to organize a strike across the south.\n\nFast food companies have made billions by exploiting their employees. It's time to share that wealth.\nhttps://t.co/YOjBmrwx1B\u201d— Union Seminary (@Union Seminary) 1517510062
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.