William "Bill" Lucy Oral History Interview

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

The oral history consists of five digital files: 2011.174.94.1a, 2011.174.94.1b, 2011.174.94.1c, 2011.174.94.1d, and 2011.174.94.1e. William "Bill” Lucy discusses his role in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in the 1960s, especially how he and the union supported the 1968 sanitation workers' strike in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1966, Lucy started to work for AFSCME in Washington, D.C., as the Associate Director of the Department of Legislation and Community Affairs. Lucy explains AFSCME's support of the Civil Rights Movement, especially the push to expose the economic exploitation of African Americans. Lucy narrates the events of the 1968 sanitation workers strike in Memphis, discusses the involvement of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and describes the union's strategies. Lucy also discusses his involvement in the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and the Free South Africa Movement.

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