On this day in history, 50 years ago, black sanitation workers marched in Memphis protesting unsafe working conditions and low wages. Protesters marked the day by marching in front of a McDonald's in Detroit.
Low income workers including cooks, cashiers, janitors, and hospital workers marched with their supporters from the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial park— to the McDonald’s on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit.
“We hope to have our voices heard and have some of our needs meet, so we can make it in society in this economy,” said Darrell Bonner, Lead Custodian Detroit Public Schools Community District.
Darrell Bonner says 64 million working people in the country make less than fifteen dollars an hour and they are fed up. Detroit City Council President Pro-Tem Mary Sheffield says she has heard business leaders say such a change could hurt businesses and lead to lost jobs, but believes this change needs to be made nationwide.
“We need a living wage for people who are working two to three jobs, who are trying to make ends meet, who can’t take care of their families,” said Sheffield.
This was just one of many such protests around the country on the same topic on the same day.
