Mine Eyes Have Seen, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Journey

In the unusually cold spring of 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent several weeks shuttling between the Sanitation Workers' Strike in Memphis and his home in Atlanta. Memphis' black sanitation workers had walked out in February demanding union recognition and the same benefits as whites. The city's only offer to their demands thus far had consisted of paternalism, condescension, and silence at the bargaining table. There would be no municipal workers' union in Memphis while Henry Loeb, who was avidly anti-union, was mayor. Despite months of peaceful protest and, finally, a violent confrontation that left one dead, scores injured, and hundreds jailed, both camps remained convinced that theirs was the truly just cause. Dr. King entered the fray with the intention of proving that his passive, non-violent methods were not only morally proper, but also effective as well. With riots across the country the previous three summers, Dr. King knew that his methods were under close scrutiny. In Memphis, where the strikers and the city were at an impasse, he would face the ultimate test during what would become his final, tragic journey. D'Army Bailey draws on his own experiences in the Civil Rights Movement to reflect upon the actions that led to Dr. King's involvement in the Memphis strike. Bailey details the final weeks, from King's disillusionment with persistent strike-bred violence to his steadfast search for an affirmation that the non-violent methods he had preached and practiced throughout his life were, in fact, effective. Using archival photographs from the period, Bailey tells the story of his personal journey from disillusionment with King¿s tactics to his position of leadership as the person who spearheaded the reclamation of the Lorraine Motel (where Dr. King was assassinated) and the construction of the National Civil Rights Museum. In addition, Bailey challenges the citizens of Memphis ¿ and the world ¿ to embark upon their own ¿journey of truth¿ that will, Bailey writes, lead them to the realization that Dr. King¿s non-violence is necessary for all who abhor social injustice of any kind, anywhere.