Historic Clayborn Temple

Historic Clayborn Temple engages in culture and the arts inspired by the participants of the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike. We embody their declaration of the humanity (and dignity) of Black, poor, and working-class people and continue their legacy of advancing human understanding through storytelling, engagement, and practice.

Clayborn began its life in 1892 as Second Presbyterian Church. In 1949 the church was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) congregation, who changed the property’s name to Clayborn Temple. In 1968, after developing a reputation of supporting civil rights work, civil rights and labor activists chose Clayborn Temple as the organizing headquarters for the Sanitation Workers’ Strike, Martin Luther King’s last campaign. Focused on achieving dignity and economic wellbeing for the workers, the campaign’s iconic “I AM A MAN” signs were made daily in the Temple’s basement and have since become a universal symbol for human rights and human dignity. Clayborn Temple closed in 1999 and fell into disrepair, but it has since reopened. Officially named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, local and national leaders, community members, and preservationists alike are all committed to keeping Clayborn Temple alive, preserving its legacy and bringing its vision for the future to fruition. For more, visit clayborn.org.