Here's How the Grizzlies' City Edition Uniforms Honor Martin Luther King Jr.
The Grizzlies' City Edition uniforms were designed to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and the Memphis sanitation strike that he participated in just before his assassination 50 years ago.
The black and white color scheme and the underline of "Memphis" on the jerseys represents the "I Am A Man" signs protesters walked with through Memphis in 1968. The black and white signs had the word "Am" underlined. The text is also a nod to the typeface used on the signs of protesters.
On the shorts, there is a giant "M" design, which was inspired by the word "Man" from the signs and to represent Memphis.
There are also Beale Blue accents to acknowledge the location in the city. Steps from Beale Street and adjacent to FedExForum, Clayborn Temple was a starting point for many of the marches in 1968 and it is the site of the "I Am A Man" Plaza that will open in April 2018.
The "MLK50" City Edition uniforms will debut on TNT on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 15, when the Grizzlies host the Lakers.
