At the River I Stand

71 minutes, black & white and color
Source: California Newsreel

This film reconstructs the two eventful months in 1968 which led to the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the climax of the Civil Rights Movement. It shows how Memphis' Black community rallied behind a strike by 1300 sanitation workers for a living wage, summed up by the slogan 'I Am a Man.' King joined their struggle to his growing nation-wide Poor People's Campaign. His non-violent strategy was sorely tested during the 65 day strike, and on April 4, he was murdered. This documentary captures many of the themes of American history that came together in Memphis in 1968: black vs. white, non-violence vs. violence, privilege vs. poverty, and grassroots mobilization vs. national politics.