Fifty years later

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, right, shakes hands with Streets and Sanitation workers last Wednesday, during a wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. outside of the Austin Health Center on Cicero and Chicago Avenues. | Photo by ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

State Rep. La Shawn Ford and Rev. Ira Acree stands with Streets and Sanitation workers and other speakers last Wednesday, during a wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. outside of the Austin Health Center on Cicero and Chicago Avenues. | Photo by ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Attendees bring over a decorated wreath last Wednesday, during a wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. outside of the Austin Health Center on Cicero and Chicago Avenues. | Photo by ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Rev. Ira Acree talks about the civil rights movement how he considers MLK to be a modern-day Moses last Wednesday, during a wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. outside of the Austin Health Center on Cicero and Chicago Avenues. | Photo by ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Leo McCord talks about his family marching in the civil rights movement back in the 1960’s last Wednesday, during a wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. outside of the Austin Health Center on Cicero and Chicago Avenues. | Photo by ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

RECALLING THE DREAM: Community members, elected officials and city workers gather in front of the King statue on Mandela Road in Austin during an April 4 wreath-laying ceremony. | Photo by ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

FIFTY YEARS LATER: Ald. Emma Mitts (37th), state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (8th) and Rev. Ira Acree during an April 4 wreath-laying ceremony in front of a statue of King outside of the Westside Health Authority’s Austin headquarters. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

An April 4 wreath-laying ceremony in front of a statue of King outside of the Westside Health Authority’s Austin headquarters. The city workers were reminiscent of the Memphis sanitation workers whose 1968 strike brought King to that city. Not long before a planned march in support of the workers, he was killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.