Cornelia Crenshaw is one of the thousands of unsung heroes who collectively paved the way for the civil rights movement. Ms Crenshaw was an active participant of the Sanitation Workers Union Strike, which Dr. King supported during his fateful trip to Memphis.
Ms. Crenshaw devoted her life to defending the poor and disadvantaged and earned a reputation as one of the toughest advocates for fairness and justice. In later life she became a solid supporter of Jacqueline Smith, sharing the same compassion and belief in a fairer system. She became an integral part of the protest and campaigned tirelessly to continue the hopes and dreams of Dr. King, even though she was in her late seventies. Ms Crenshaw died in February 1994 and is still sadly missed.
Ms. Crenshaw owned a Lincoln Continental, which she offered to the Union for Dr. King's use. Coretta Scott King also used the car after Dr. King had been slain. It is ironic therefore, that the National Civil Rights Museum has spent thousands of dollars to display cars which depict the period, when less than one mile from the museum, the actual car used by Dr. King remains abandoned, gathering rust.