Union Marcher to Honor Dr. ML King

When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered in 1968, he was there in support of my Union, AFSCME, supporting the workers of AFSCME Local 1733 in their famous "I AM A MAN" demonstrations. This year, AFSCME members from all over the nation will gather in Memphis to honor his sacrifice and his example. I'm a native West Tennessean. , now president of a mostly-black AFSCME local union (Wisconsin State Employees Local 91); I am particularly eager to pay this tribute. The problem is that lost days' wages, travel to and from Memphis (I live in Milwaukee), and housing, will cost me a lot of money I can ill afford. Make no mistake: I WILL GO anyway; but if folks can ease the fiscal pain, I would appreciate it.

The march is in April; I've got to make arrangements much sooner than that. And if you see coverage of the march, and the proud banner of Wisconsin State Employees Local 91, AFSCME, shows on the screen, you can have the warm feeling of knowing you helped.

If I get more money than needed, I will use it to help pay the expenses of other AFSCME sisters and brothers who are going down there to honor this great Christian martyr for a righteous cause.

Minor historical footnote: I am proud to say that when I ran for the Tennessee General Assembly in 1974, Henry Loeb, the Mayor of Memphis against whom Dr. King was helping, came to my hometown to raise funds for my opponent. I have never been so proud to have somebody against me as I was that year.