Hundreds Gather At Ebenezer To Honor King
National and state politicians, members of the religious community and hundreds of Atlantans gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church Monday for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative service.As heard on the radio
With the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the War on Poverty fresh in the minds of the congregation, speakers used the pulpit to push for issues on their agenda, giving the more than 3-hour ceremony a political undertone.
In his speech, Gov. Nathan Deal took a more affirmative stance on bringing some kind of permanent symbol of King to the state Capitol this year.
“Not many states can boast a native son who has merited a national holiday, but we Georgians can,” Deal said. “That’s why, working with the General Assembly in this 2014 session, I’m committed to finding an appropriate way to honor Dr. King on Capitol Hill.”
However, Deal stopped short of giving specifics on his plan, such as whether it includes a statue of King that’s recently been pushed by Democratic state Rep. Tyrone Brooks and civil rights leaders.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed echoed his inauguration speech in calling for a renovation of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Monday, later saying he’d use millions of dollars promised for city infrastructure improvements to give it a makeover.
“Shame on us in the city where Dr. Martin Luther King is from, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive looks like every other Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the United States of America. We’re going to do something about that,” Reed said. “It’s going to look different in Atlanta.”
Keynote speaker and Ebenezer senior pastor the Rev. Raphael Warnock addressed income inequality in his speech, calling for a minimum wage increase and an extension of the recently expired long-term unemployment benefits, with Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson sitting nearby.
“Increased productivity and profits have not translated into increased prosperity for those who make the prosperity possible,” Warnock said.
Warnock later demanded that Deal expand Medicaid, though Deal had left by that point in the ceremony. He also asked the congregation to push for tighter gun restriction laws, calling for an end to so called Stand Your Ground laws and criticizing a local effort by some state lawmakers to expand carry areas to churches, universities and public buildings.As heard on Tuesday Morning Edition
“The problem with America today is we are afraid of each other, and so we are consumed by this culture that bows down and worships the gun,” he said.
“Guns are not allowed in the Capitol, but someone decided I should have to deal with a gun in a church on a Sunday morning. Have you lost your mind?”
The King Center had earlier called for No Shots Fired on the holiday, asking people to abstain from violence in honor of King.
The ceremony also included a tribute to Coretta Scott King and a reading of King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech by local students.
9(MDAxODM0MDY4MDEyMTY4NDA3MzI3YjkzMw004))
Top Stories
