“Dr. King's last campaign was a labor struggle. Many people are aware that King was assassinated in Memphis in the spring of 1968. Less well-known is what drew him there: solidarity with city sanitation workers, who, without the benefit of union representation, were rising up to protest humiliating pay and deplorable working conditions.”

Tom Perez is a former U.S. Secretary of Labor and chair of the Democratic National Committee. He is recognized for his advocacy on workers’ rights and labor policy, shaping national conversations on economic fairness and union representation. His political career spans decades of progressive leadership in both government and party organizing.