Reginald Williams
Special to the AFRO
William ‘Bill’ Lucy, a labor union stalwart and civil rights activist, is best remembered for his significant role in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. His leadership and support of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., served as the beginning of many historic contributions during his illustrious career that spanned multiple decades. Lucy passed away in his home in Washington, D.C. at age 90.
Photo courtesy of AFSCME
“Bill Lucy was a giant, one of the most accomplished and influential trade unionists ever-in any country, at any moment in history,” said Lee Saunders, national president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Derrick Johnson, president, and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said in a statement that “William ‘Bill’ Lucy, is a true champion of the labor movement and a steadfast advocate for social justice. For over four decades, Bill dedicated himself to uplifting workers’ rights, leaving an indelible mark on American labor and civil rights.”
Born in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 26, 1933, but raised in Richmond, Calif., Lucy rose to national prominence in 1968 when he returned to Memphis to mediate the stalemate between the Black sanitation workers and the union led by Henry Loeb, the White segregationist who served as public works commissioner.
The death of Robert Walker and Echol Cole, Black Memphis sanitation workers crushed to death while trying to find cover in the truck’s tailgate during an intense rainstorm, sparked the strike.
While handling union affairs for Council 77 in Detroit, Lucy, at the encouragement from Jerry Wurf, then-president of AFSCME, traveled to Memphis to help support Dr. King in the strike. Lucy is responsible for the iconic slogan, “I Am A Man,” which appeared on signs carried by approximately 1,300 striking sanitation workers.
“From his leadership in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike to the founding the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, to his role in defeating and dismantling South African apartheid, he was a courageous trailblazer,” said Saunders.
Saunders’ influence was felt worldwide. He was instrumental in Nelson Mandela becoming the president of South Africa. According to his obituary, Lucy led an AFL-CIO delegation to monitor the 1994 South African election responsible for Mandela’s presidency. His work with the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists ensured the “independent voice of Black workers within the trade union movement, challenging organized labor to be more relevant to the needs and aspirations of Black and poor workers.”
The former emeritus secretary of treasurer for AFSCME 1733, the University of California at Berkeley graduate served as the secretary-treasurer of AFSCME for more than 30 years. After graduating from Berkeley with a civil engineering degree, Lucy’s involvement in labor organizing began with his first job as a research engineer in Contra Costa, Calif.
Lucy joined AFSCME Local 1675 in 1956, was elected president in 1965, and moved cross-country to Washington, D.C., in 1966 to work in AFSCME’s national office as the legislation and community affairs department’s associate director. He will be remembered as a legend of the labor movement.
The post William ‘Bill’ Lucy, labor union and civil rights activist, dies at 90 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
