SC marker recalls workers who struck for fair wages in 1967

The former Claussen Bakery in Greenville now has a historical marker to remind people of the building’s significance during the civil rights movement when its workers went on strike for fair wages and better working conditions.

The marker was placed there in remembrance of a speech given nearby by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1967 when King spoke in support of 22 black bakery employees who were on strike, The Greenville News reported.

Judge Horace Butler Jr.’s father was an organizer and spokesman for the strike. He said at the marker’s unveiling Friday that the strike taught people in the community to fight for what’s right.

Among those attending the unveiling was the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who helped bring King to Greenville.

This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 3:32 PM with the headline "SC marker recalls workers who struck for fair wages in 1967."