Oscar-winning “Precious” screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher will pen a big screen adaption of “I Am a Man,” based on Michael K. Honey’s 2007 book about the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike that became a turning point in the U.S. civil rights movement
Black employees took up picket signs over poor working conditions and discrimination. The strike drew Martin Luther King Jr., the National Guard and the national media for what was a 65-day, often violent labor action.
It was also the reason King was in Memphis on April 4. He was supporting the workers’ efforts to unionize when he was assassinated on the balcony of the city’s Lorraine Motel. The strike ended 12 days later.
The feature film adaptation is from Sycamore Pictures, with the company’s Ben Nearn and Tom Rice producing. The pair have been developing the project since its inception with Director of Development Andrew Terhune.
“We feel this film is culturally relevant and vitally important in today’s climate,” said Nearn and Rice. “I Am a Man exposes the long history of racial inequality, paternalism, and economic injustice in this country, that unfortunately continues today.”
Said Fletcher: “In my opinion, some of the best stories combine well-known history with the unknown history surrounding it. This is one of those stories. It is an honor to work on a project of such significance. In these desperate and divided times, this is a story of genuine superheroes.”
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(Photo Credit: Tatiana Beller / PR Photos)
