Macon sanitation worker luncheon honors MLK on eve of death anniversary

At the time of his death, Dr. King was in Memphis alongside striking sanitation workers. The strike followed the death of two Black sanitation workers, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, who were crushed by a compactor in their garbage truck after having been denied entry into a nearby building during a rainstorm.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Sanitation workers and other public works employees in Macon were treated to lunch in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The lunch was hosted by the NAACP Macon Branch and the A. Phillip Randolph Institute Macon Chapter. At the time of his death, Dr. King was in Memphis alongside striking sanitation workers. The strike followed the death of two Black sanitation workers, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, who were crushed by a compactor in their garbage truck after having been denied entry into a nearby building during a rainstorm. On April 3, 1968, one day before his assassination, Dr. King delivered his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”. The speech called on locals to support striking sanitation workers and foreshadowed the fight for justice after King’s death.

“We want to keep his legacy alive,” said Gwenette Westbrooks, President of the NAACP Macon Branch.  “This is so very important that we show them how much we appreciate the work that they do.”

While worker conditions have improved since King’s death, Westbrooks says the organization’s Labor and Industry Committee is still advocating for more.

“We continue to fight and educate also, so people will know their rights in employment,” Westbrooks said. 

Along with protesting the deaths of Cole and Walker, the Memphis Sanitation Strike was a demand for higher pay. Westbrooks says the NAACP works to ensure Macon’s sanitation workers make wages that reflect their hard work.

“We still continue having to fight to make sure that their pay is equal to or with other sanitation workers across the state,” Westbrooks said. 

The luncheon is made possible by a donation from the A. Phillip Randolph Institute Macon Chapter. President Dorothy Ridley says the community should never take the work of sanitation workers and other public works employees for granted.

“They keep our property clean, our streets, you know when we ride around,” Ridley said. “And we just want them to know that we are thankful for what we do.” 

Ridley says the anniversary of Dr. King’s death is a sad time, but most importantly, a reminder to never stop fighting for equality.

“We have to continue to fight for what is right – for equal rights and equal pay,” Ridley said. “That’s what it was about.” 

Westbrooks says history books and school curriculum often out key details of Dr. King’s fight. That’s why it’s all the more important that individuals seek this knowledge and follow his example.

“You have to know where you’ve been before you can be able to know where you’re going,” Westbrooks said. “So, even with our young folks, I encourage them to educate themselves on the history.”