A civil rights activist who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 has died after a recent hospital stay, according to his family and their spokesperson.
Elmore Nickelberry was in the hospital due to heart complications and passed away around 2 a.m. on Saturday, they said.
Nickelberry was one of the last living living Memphis Sanitation Workers who protested for better working conditions and pay in the late 1960s.
Along with the remaining 14 living striking workers of 1968 he was given $50,000 from the City of Memphis under the Strickland administration.
This money was given to supplement cost of living increases as many of those workers were still on the payroll without pension and the ability to retire comfortably.
Memphis mayor Jim Strickland paid tribute to Nickelberry, following the news with a public statement.
"I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Elmore Nickelberry, a remarkable man whom I had gotten to know over the last eight years," Strickland said. He served the public for over 60 years. His contributions to the sanitation strike and the pursuit of fair working conditions will be forever a part of Memphis history and a significant part of the America Civil Rights Movement."
"As we reflect on his life, let us express our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all those who stood alongside him in the pursuit of justice," Strickland said. "May his legacy inspire future generations to continue the important work of advocating for the rights and dignity of workers everywhere."
Nickelberry's name is also listed on the "I AM A MAN" plaza in Downtown Memphis, which opened in 2018. His son Terrance was quoted by ABC24 then, when Elmore Nickelberry was still working for the Memphis Sanitation Department.
Terrance Nickelberry said he liked what he saw in the mural and even believed it should have been made years ago.
“From all the members you see and what he’s done here, you can’t ask for anything better,” he said.