Four decades ago, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood up for Memphis sanitation workers who faced unjust conditions and low wages.  At the beginning of their strike in 1968, they earned an average of just $1.70 per hour, which is now equal to $10.27.  Today in New York City, more than 60,000 men and women, most of whom are African-American, work as private security officers.  Although they are responsible for keeping our city safe and secure, many officers earn less than $10 an hour, receive no affordable health care and little, if any, state-of-the-art security training. 

To honor Dr. King's legacy and advance the campaign to raise standards for these security officers, 32BJ and Brooklyn Congregations Together, a group of eleven churches in central Brooklyn, co-sponsored an event on the eve of Dr. King's birthday that included presentations by security officers, powerful music and song, a keynote address by Reverend Johnny Ray Youngblood of St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church and remarks by Senator Hillary Clinton.