THEWHOLETRUTH 23
is a vast concrete building capable
of seating 7,500 people on two
levels. The temple, designedwith
simplifiedArtModerne styling
and detail, was constructed for
regular services aswell as to
houseCOGIC’s annual national
HolyConvocation.
On the evening ofApril 3, 1968,
MasonTemple scheduled the
SouthernChristianLeadership
Conference’s (SCLC)Rev. Ralph
Abernathy, King’s associate, as
the evening speaker. Butwhen the
3,000-person crowd demanded to
hearDr. King,Abernathy phoned
King in his room at theLorraine
Hotel and asked him to address the
assembly.
King,Abernathy,AndrewYoung
and other black leaders had come
toMemphis to support 1,300
striking sanitationworkerswho
met regularly at the church. Their
grievances included unfairwork-
ing conditions. On rainy days,
blackworkers had to return home
without paywhile paidwhite
supervisors remained on the job.
Also, blackworkerswere given
only one uniform and no place in
which to change clothes.Another
grievancewas poor pay, whereby
the highest paid blackworker
could not hope to earnmore than
$70 aweek. Following a bloody
confrontation betweenmarching s
trikers andpolice theweekbefore,
a court injunction had been issued
banning further protests. King
hoped their plannedmarchwould
overturn thecourt injunction.
TWT
