Community Corner
Procession of Leaders, King III Remember Leader on 25th Anniversary of MLK Federal Holiday
Martin Luther King III delivers keynote speech.
(Editor's note: The following article about Martin Luther King Jr. and MLK Day activities at Ebenezer Baptist Church appeared Tuesday morning in our Cascade Patch in Atlanta.)
Leaders from around metro Atlanta and across the country gathered for the celebration of the 82nd birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 25th anniversary of the federal holiday honoring the civil rights leader.
Platform guests included U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr., Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, Atlanta City Mayor Kasim Reed, U.S. Congressman John Lewis, and U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson.
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Within the walls of , hundreds lined the pews while hundreds more wait outside anxiously hoping to get in. The excitement in the air was electrifying as the speakers rose to give praise and honor to the man who made an indelible impression on not only our nation but the world as a whole.
Holder stepped to the podium and received a standing ovation at the mention of his representation of President Barack Obama. He addressed concerns he has of our nation and advancements that are yet to be made in poorer communities.
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Congressman John Lewis came along fanning the spark ignited by Holder, moving the crowd to its feet when he gave his testament to the trails they had to endure during an unpopular Civil Rights era. He stirred the crowd to emotion with his account of the life of his friend Dr. King.
Additionally, Mayor Kasim Reed brought the crowd to its feet when he described his journey, his influences as a small child, and his aspirations to walk in the footsteps of Dr. King by affecting change and becoming Atlanta’s mayor in a highly contested battle.
But perhaps it was the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist, that rang the bell of inspiration the loudest. His voice lifted, his words soared as he channeled the spirit of Dr. King Monday morning.
“Freedom is not a destination, it is a journey,” said Warnock as he described the continued struggle for many African Americans today. He lauded Dr. King’s Christian nature and civility in the face of anguish and blatant racism.
“We first met the American Christ aboard slave ships over 300 years ago…we transformed Christianity,” Warnock said. Citing the unveiling ceremony for the Dr. King Memorial set for August of this year, a statue in the likeness of Dr. King will stand across the monument of Thomas Jefferson.
Referencing Thomas Jefferson’s line of “all men are created equal,” Warnock closed with, “I can imagine if Dr. King were here today and could ask Thomas Jefferson about that quote, he would say, did you mean what you said, when you said what you said?”
Former CNN Headline News anchor Sachi Koto, President of Koto Communications, paid tribute to Dr. King representing the people of her parents' native culture in Japan. She informed the crowd of the Japanese city of Hiroshima celebrating King Day as well and also having an MLK Drive like many U.S. cities. She told the story of growing up in Stone Mountain, Ga., during the 1960s and witnessing burning crosses.
“My father wanted us to see those burning crosses because he knew we were people of color too,” Koto said.
Other tributes were paid by Ms. Xernona Clayton, Founder of the Trumpet Awards and long time friend of Dr. King, Rev. Willie Bolden, Pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
“We too follow in the footsteps of Dr. King and righteousness, we too look for day when our Hispanic brothers and sisters won’t have to suffer the oppressive hand of racial profiling just for the color of their skin,” Rev. Rodriguez said, drawing comparison of modern civil rights struggles to Dr. King’s era.
Finally, Martin Luther King III arrived at the podium to a standing ovation. As he spoke, his message was clear, “we must stop treating my father like some kind of super hero, but rather understand he was a man of integrity, honor, civility and conviction, that’s something we can all aspire to.”
Drucilla Mayes, of East Point, best summed up the Ebenezer Baptist celebration: “I was so proud to see our first black attorney general and be a part of such a powerful service," Mayes said, "I think Dr. King is smiling down on us right now.”
