On February 24, 1968, at Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Rev. Lawson included these words in his sermon, “For at the heart of racism is the idea that a man is not a man, that a person is not a person. You are human beings. You are men. You deserve dignity.” When the protestors proceeded out of the doors of Clayborn Temple, they carried signs with four simple, yet profound words: “I Am a Man.” The dignity divide was on display in full measure. These African American men had to say, “This city, this country, will not recognize or promote our dignity as human beings. So we will shout it out loud!”
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