Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service | #MLKDay2024

Good morning good morning everyone this is the pre-service to the 56th annual commemorative service of the Martin Luther King junor Center for nonviolent social change and the 95th birthday of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jor welome welcome to the most famous Baptist Church in the world the Ebenezer Baptist Church America’s Freedom

Church we are happy that you are here I am Herbert Adams Jr a longtime member and former trustee here at Ebenezer my late mother Deacon Jackie Adams presided over these King Day pre-service programs for decades before she passed in 201 2019 today I am pleased to have my wife

Deacon Dr Francine Allen Adams beside me Francine will you talk a bit about the importance of this day and introduce the program participants for this pre-service program good morning again many of you no doubt have read Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s 1967 book entitled whether we go from here chaos or

Community and how Dr King opens chapter four of that book with his assessment of Humanity’s great problem he says we have inherited a large house a great world house in which we have to live together black and white Easter and Westerner Gentile and Jew Catholic and Protestant Muslim and Hindu a family unduly

Separated in ideas culture and interest who because we can never again live apart Must Learn Somehow to live with each other in peace what Dr King argued very clearly here is that we Humanity have been called to live live in community in community we learn how to serve one

Another but we also dis discover the inevitable challenges that come with maintaining unity and a spirit of Good Will amid our differences yet when we accept these challenges we discover that our differences are reasons for celebration not contention because that which makes us unique enables us to better serve each other

And therefore promote the well-being of society may this Martin Luther King Jr day remind us and encourage us to live as Community as family as a world house and in so doing honor one another and honor the God who created us for his glory and who promised us Abundant Life

And hope through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ again thank you for your attendance today in this morning this morning’s pre-service program order will begin with musical selections from Ebon Ebon a soloist Mrs tamik Watkins and Joyce Johnson as organist these selections will be followed by words from Mr Ian Moore

Director of youth programs for the King Center Mr Moore’s remarks will be followed by a request for donations and offerings with checks being made payable to the King Center finally this pre-service program with end will end with remarks and acknowledgements thank you and now we will have musical selections from Mrs Tama Watson

Praise the Lord everybody good morning my name is Tama Patton and I am so honored to be with you this morning and I pray that you’re blessed by these Selections they say this Mountain Can’t Be Moved they say this change will never pray but they don’t know you like we Do there is power in your name come on y’all know this one we’ve heard that there is no way through we’ve heard the tides will never change they haven’t seen what you can do there is power in your name so much power in your [Applause] name move the immovable break the

Unbreakable God we believe God we believe for from The Impossible we’ll see a miracle God we believe God we believe for Yeah we know that hope is never lost come on family for there is still an empty [Applause] grave God we believe no matter what there is power in your name so much power in your name move the immovable break the Unbreakable God we believe God we believe forever from The

Impossible we’ll see a miracle God we believe God we for hey I still believe does anybody else believe this morning you are the way when there seems to be no way we trust in you God you have the final St yeah we TR in you oh we trust in You move the immovable break the Unbreakable God We Believe from the uncons we see a miracle God we believe yeah we believe for God we believe God we believe [Applause] For do you still believe come on do you still believe this morning I thought it was a celebration I I I came to have church I came to celebrate I came to celebrate I came to celebrate come on I still believe if he said it it shall be done

He honors his word above his name so I still believe because he’s that kind of God he’s been just that faithful He’s been just that faithful Lord for your mercy never fails oh my days I’ve been H in your hand from the moment that I wake up until I lay my head I will sing of the goodness of God all my life you have been faithful oh my life you have been so so

Good with every breath that I [Applause] am I will sing of the goodness of God I love your voice oh yeah you have led me through the fire in Dark Night you are close like no other I know you as a father I know you as my

Friend and I have live in the goodness of God so my life you have been f that’s my testimony my life you have been so good with every breath that I am I will sing of the goodness oh God your goodness is running after is running after

Me your goodness is running after it’s running up me with my life laid down I Surrender now I give you everything everything your goodness is running after it’s running after me oh lord your goodness is running out is running after me your goodness is running

After up with my life L down I Surrender now Lord I give you everything yes your goodness is running after running me [Applause] all my life you have been fa all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am I will sing of the goodness of God Yes my life Lord you help me faithful yes you so my life you have been so so good with every breath with every bre that I am aable will sing of the goodness cuz you’re holy cuz you’re worthy Lord we bless you Lord we honor you Lord I will

Sing of the goodness you’re faithful you’re merciful I LIF you I bless you I Praise You of the goodness of God oh my life you have been faithful all my life you have been so so good with breath that I am I will sing of the goodness of God [Applause] if you want to hear more of tamaa come worship with us Sundays here at Eben of Baptist

Church it’s she’s just a blessing to us here and uh it’s that’s one of my favorite songs that she sings and she sings many uh one brief announcement before we get back to the program um please there would be no taping no video recording of today’s service including the pre-service so we

Ask that you not uh that you refrain from any taping or recording thank you very much again we thank our our soloist and sress tamama patton we thank her for reminding us that miracles happen when we do believe the impossible we will now have remarks from Mr Ian Moore the director of youth

Programs for the Kings Center good morning happy 95th birthday to The Honorable doctor Reverend Martin Luther King Jr yes uh I’m honored to speak to you yes honored to speak to you today my name is Ian elore Moore I serve as the Director of the Beloved Community Leadership Academy for the Martin Luther

King Jr Center for nonviolent social change I have the distinct honor and privilege of talking about our youth programs and how you can engage with them further I direct your attention to the back of the program the very back which talks to the programs and I’m going to be speaking about three

Particularly number one is the students with King program led by Mr Donna bulock is geared to engage young people uh in our K through five age group the first engagement is our reading Corner which highlights literacy and social emotional learning it’s a 100% virtual program in which young people engage with the

Author read the book and learn more about social justice the other is the interactive civil rights panel which consists of a field trip for a grades K through all the way up to 12th grade they can Embark into a field trip where they walk the campus grounds and also

Dive into a Chanel discussion with individuals who served and worked with Dr Martin Luther King Jr or Mrs ketta Scott King the second program is the Beloved Community Leadership Academy that’s our Premier youth program for students grades level 9th through 12th we’re teaching them three different things number one is kingy and nonviolence

Would we coin as NV 365 which is the philosophy and methodology of Dr Martin Luther King Jr number two is Technology Innovation so coding ux UI design and gamification and number three is business leadership and Entrepreneurship if you have a young person who is interested in these Endeavors how do you

Make kingy and nonviolence re relevant in the 21st century how can we take games video games how can we take social media and make it more nonviolent we are currently accepting applications for this program atth king center.org or you can email me at imore thekingcenter.org to get your student enrolled into that

Program today and the last program is a special program it’s called The kescott King Institute with the 1 million black women initiative a partnership we launch with Goldman Sachs that is for young ladies who identify as African American or African descent for ages 13 and 18

That program is a monthly program uh and it’s a unique space where young ladies can learn character leadership development as well as Wellness we are currently accepting applications for this program as well so if you’re interested in joining and learning more about these youth programs and engaging further with Dr King’s philosophy and

Methodology Beyond Today I act you to get involved learn more at the king center.org or email me directly at IM at the King Center thank you at this time we will prepare for a um a regular traditional um thing that we do at churches all across the nation will’ll take up a

Collection so I’ll ask that the ushers will prepare um for the collection uh donation and although we’re at church this collection is on behalf of the King Center and so if you look in your if you have a program and you look inside you should find an

Envelope like this and if you want to make a donation you can put cash in the envelope or you can write a check and if write a check is just two words you need to make it payable to King Center just two words you don’t have to worry about

War with the King Jr Just Two Words King Center and of course put your name on the front of the envelope and an address and the the King Center makes note of all contributions and so we want to make sure you get proper attribution so um as we prepare to take

Up this ation to the King Center in the Baptist tradition I’d like to uh first before we take up the collection um ushers before we pass the plate just one second I’d like to offer an offeror prayer may we bow our heads dear God we take time to reflect

Upon one of your great servants the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr those of us who knew Dr King remember him with deep admiration and affection on today we recognize the 56th commemorative service of the King Center and 95th birthday of Reverend Martin Luther King

Jr Reverend king lived a life and left a legacy of strength courage and love thank you God for giving us Martin Luther King Jr thank you also for those today in this house of worship who made a financial contribution to the King Center to help it continue your mission and work as

Demonstrated by Reverend King most of all Heavenly Father we thank you for your son and our savior Jesus the Christ it is in His holy name that we pray amen I as you may proceed thank you for And if there’s anyone who wants to make a contribution and you miss the plate being passed please raise your hand and and Usher will come to you to make sure that you’re taken care of aers there was some hands raised over here to my right your Left Ashers there’s also a hand raised in the Center I oh you’re just waving okay did we get everyone Okay all right I believe we’ve gotten to everyone at this time time um we’re about to conclude the pre-service program i’ just like to make a few acknowledgements in closing we’d like to thank the ushers we have ushers from various churches in the Metro Atlanta area thank you ladies and

Gentlemen for your service this [Applause] morning and I know that um I see several colors of fraternities and sororities and I I saw Kimberly King who is the area coordinator for the panalin council she happens to be a Delta but all of the Greek um traditional black paternity and sorority

Brothers and sisters you may stand and wave your hands thank you thank you very much for being [Applause] here and and for the record my my mother was a Delta and I’m a q um so we just thank all of you we want to thank the the

Musicians the all of the volunteers uh there are people a lot of people working behind the scenes to make today possible and uh we can’t name them all but we want to thank all of you for your [Applause] service and I’ll just conclude with mentioning just a few uh Barbara Harrison who’s like the the main person who makes everything happen Miss Harrison over here and I I’m not going to believe names but I also want to just take a personal privilege and thank Alice een Jenkins

For helping me get here this morning with the parking thank you all very much e for for for for for for for for for For for J H hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelu hallelujah hallelu hallelu hallelu hallelu Hallelu hallelu hallu Hallu hallelu hallelu hallelu Hallelujah Hallu Hu Hallu CHR shall for [Applause] [Applause] forever and hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah Hallelu hallu Hallu hallu for and Hallelujah [Applause] [Applause] Hallelu king [Applause] [Applause] of Hallelujah [Applause] Hallelujah ofing of [Applause] [Applause] Hallelu Hallelujah hallelu hallelu [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] He video from in 2023 the King Center was ready for impact the 2023 King holiday observance events and experiences Galvanize the center for a year of cultivating a Beloved Community mindset for personal cultural and societal change the King Center continued to educate and train Global Citizens on kingy and nonviolence rebranded by the

Center as nonviolence 365 over 400 Metro Atlanta students participated in nextg nonviolence sessions and in School Forums where they learned about nonviolence 365 and how it can help them show more compassion deescalate conflict communicate with kindness grow as leaders and make wise decisions 94 youth from across the globe

Engaged in the king Center’s Beloved Community Leadership Academy bcla students received insight and inspiration about entrepreneurship technology leadership and how to navigate all three with nonviolence 365 girls from bcla including girls joining from Liberia were a part of Goldman Sachs 1 million black women cohort with with our students with King

Program the King Center touched the lives of 1, 12,792 students from over 30 countries these 1 million plus students learn from children’s book authors Educators activists members of The King Family and Civic leaders who knew Dr and Mrs King in commemoration of King Center founder Mrs ketas Scot King’s birthday the King

Center dedicated the ketta Scott King monument and PE and meditation Garden on the Cent’s grounds created by Saia waluk and commissioned by Hulu as one of the companies made by her monuments the monument is a reminder of Mrs King’s Global influence the 2023 Beloved Community International Expo featured

Performers art education and food from cultures and Nations throughout the world the Beloved Community is powerful and possible the King Center hosted a faith and democracy Forum featuring a panel and exchange around equipping Faith Leaders with information that benefits the communities they serve in partnership with Microsoft the

King Center introduced dear cetta a digital timeline the timeline demonstrates Mrs King’s belief that the Beloved Community can be achieved through a radical and courageous commitment to love and it challenges Humanity to be love in 2023 more than 1,000 volunteers supported the King Center as the King Center committed to

Helping Global Citizens cultivate a Beloved Community mindset the center team also committed to growing in understanding and application of King and nonviolence and in wisdom for how history influences today the King Center looks forward join in its 2024 work of Shifting the cultural climate through the study and practice of kingan Nonviolence good morning I’m Natasha Reed rice I am Pastor Reginal Wayne sharp Jr and we are delighted to be with you all here in person and those who are watching on TV or streaming online to celebrate this commemorative service for the Dr Martin Luther King [Applause]

Jr the theme for this celebration is it starts with me Shifting the cultural climate through the study and practice of kingian nonviolence this is the 56th King commemorative service today the 15th would be the 95th birthday for Dr Martin Luther King happy Heavenly birthday this is also the 39th

Observance of the federal King holiday and this is the 52nd year that Fox 5 Atlanta has made this commercial free space for us to celebrate so we know there are formalities in this day but we want to invite all of you to celebrate to celebrate with love to celebrate with

Worship to celebrate with words to celebrate with bringing you fully into this space as the theme tells us it puts the impetus on me on each and every one of us to shift the narrative I’m excited to be here she used the word celebrate but from my

Baptist tradition we we would say let’s have some church would you stand with me as we Embark upon this resend and auspicious occasion today and we will be blessed with a musical performance by Ken Hawthorne Gospel singer who will lead us in the song americ America the Beautiful

Following we will sing together the Negro national anthem lift every voice and sing led by Karen Briggs violinist composer and arranger then we will be led in our invocation by Bishop Craig Oliver senior senior pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church our scriptures Old Testament will come from Rabbi Elizabeth bright our New Testament scripture

Reading by Pastor Don mofin of the North Atlanta Church of Christ and our Quran reading from sister shahida shareif and we will go higher together let every heart say amen amen Oh beautiful for spaceous SK forber W of for purp M 10 mest the fruited Amer oh America go sh his grace on the and Crown th good with brood from SE to sh Shing SE for SE to shing [Laughter] See For J I [Applause] h To All All For The [Applause] To [Applause] Let the church say Amen Let Us bow our heads in unity as our hearts are intertwined across the spectrum of Humanity’s vast Embrace as we invoke the spirit of togetherness in remembrance of the honor and the life Legacy and profound impact of Dr Martin Luther King

Jr dear creator of all that is just and good We Gather in the shelter of your benevolent presence in celebrating the Beacon of Hope that was and always will be that of Dr King he’s taught us through his words and deeds that Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice

Everywhere we seek to walk in the path that he illuminated a path of righteousness equality and unwavering courage we’ve come from all corners of the earth diverse in thought and in form yet United in the Quest for the Beloved Community help us oh God to f a world where there’s

Differences and yet and still we celebrate a world where equality flourish in the rich so soil of mutual respect on this solemn and joyous day we lift our Collective Vision towards a horizon where love for all Humanity is not just an idea but rather it is the foundation upon which we build every

Minute of Our Lives strengthen us in our resolve to embody love that Dr King advocated love that is not passive but rather powerful in facilitating change we pray for shalom in every corner of our aching Globe riff with clamor of War Bloodshed Terror and Cosmic chaos

Touch us oh God guide us with your hand and lead us away from violence towards the Embrace of dialogue and mutual understanding in our Relentless fight for justice and human rights fill us with the endless flame of righteousness across all nations let us unite in our stance against the shadows of Oppression and

Discrimination and inequality May our voices join in as we seek for a world of Greater Love We implore that you would awaken us and stir within our souls a sense the responsibility of Human Rights and racial reconciliation let us not forget that the Ark of moral universe is long but it

Bend towards justice as Dr King profoundly profoundly stated and may we be the keepers of that dream the fighters of that flame flame that Dr King carried torchbearers as it starts within us and spreads abroad and so we prayed and all of God’s people said amen Genesis

12 God said to Abraham go forth from your land the place you were born and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you I will make your name great and you shall be a Blessing I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you and all the families of the Earth shall bless themselves by you God sends Our Father Abraham on a journey with a promise of protection to bless those who bless him this promise is made for

Abraham it is true for everyone when we spend our lives searching for the evil in other others seeing wickedness wishing them ill we give cruelty power and curse ourselves when we spend our lives searching for the good in others praying for their safety success and health we

Help them grow and bring blessing to the world and bless ourselves in the process those who bless others bless themselves those who curse others curse themselves in Martin Luther King’s words hatred darkens life love illuminates it may we each give and be a [Applause] blessing in honor of Dr King’s Clarion

Call to action the New Testament reading will be from Romans chapter 12 therefore I urge you brothers and sisters in view of God’s mercy to present your bodies to God as a Living Sacrifice holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual service of worship and

Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good pleasing and perfect will and by the grace of God I say to each of you don’t think more highly of yourself than you

Ought to think but to think of yourself with sober judgment as God has allotted to each a measure of faith for just as each of us has one body with many members and these members don’t all have the same function so we too in Christ are one

Body and each members of one another now we have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us so if it is prophesying prophesy in accordance with your Measure of Faith if it is serving serve if it is teaching teach if it’s to encourage give encouragement if it is giving give

Generously if it is to lead do it diligently if it is to show Mercy do it cheerfully and as of this morning if it is to play the [Applause] violin goodness man we’re just putting a little extra on there this morning love must be sincere hate what

Is evil clean to what is good and be devoted to one another in love honor one another above yourselves never be lacking in Zeal keep your spiritual fervor be joyful in Hope patient in Affliction faithful in prayer share with the Lord’s people and practice Hospitality bless those who persecute

You bless and C curse not rejoice with those who Rejoice but mourn with those who mourn live in harmony with one another don’t be proud be willing to associate people in a low position don’t be conceeded now don’t repay evil for evil to anyone be careful to do what’s right in

The eyes of everyone and if as far as it is possible for you you be at peace with everyone do not take revenge my dear friends but leave room for God’s Wrath for it is written it is mine to avenge I will repay thus says the Lord so on the

Contrary if your enemy is hungry feed him if he is thirsty give him a drink in doing so you’ll heat coals on his head do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with [Applause] good the Quran is a comprehensive book of guidance that is a moral compass and

Prescription for nonviolence it calls us to forbearing patience with faith and righteous action the quintessential principle to implement nonviolence is holding fast to the sanctity of human life and from this I give the reading from chapter five Surah MAA verse 32 as a reminder For and the English translation is I seek Refuge with God from the rejected enemy Satan Satan whoever slays a soul unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land it will be as if they killed all of humanity and whoever Saves a Life

It will be as if they saved all of humanity our Messengers have certainly come to them with clear proofs yet many of them still transgressed afterwards through the land surely God speaks the truth may we all Aid in Shifting the climate in the direction to that Beloved Community that moral community that

Upholds the sacred value of human life itself let the people say amen we are witnessing what Dr King called the interrelatedness we are hearing from voices of various Faith Traditions various races and gender and now we shall hear from the voice of one who carries a heavy

Mantle she is the daughter of a king she Carri them carries the mantle of her father being charged to bring light into Dark Places she carries the mantle of her mother with the ability to see far and create Legacy she’s a trained lawyer she’s a trained and Spirit-filled

Preacher she comes in the tradition of a dreamer and connects prophetic imagination to prophetic determination and stands in that this day with our call to commemoration won’t you join me in welcoming Dr bonice a king Hallelujah well this is the day that the Lord has made come on and let’s rejoice

And be glad in it Hallelujah well Reverend Natasha I’m not just the daughter of Dr Martin Luther King and ketta Scott King but I stand today as the daughter of the king of kings Hallelujah the CEO of the king C let me officially welcome each and every one of

You to our 56th observance of my father’s birthday uh the 39th federal holiday observance in honor of what would have been his 95th birthday to Pastor Senator warau thank you for opening the doors once again uh to us on this sacred day uh thank you to all of our uh program uh participants

Especially our speaker for the hour Riven Arline Bradley I want to thank also the King Center staff and the King Center uh team and especially thank Fox 5 Atlanta W [Applause] TV this is an urgent hour these are very strange and peculiar times I for one am very concerned about

Our children I’m concerned about our communities I’m concerned about all my brothers and sisters in our world house who are being denied living healthy and prosperous lives due to repressive regimes you see I believe we are in the fight of our life our humanity is literally under attack causing us to

Come out of character to be opposite of what God created us to be he created us after his image and likeness I believe he also created us created us to operate from a higher plane of dignity and discipline and yet over and over again too many choose to operate on low levels of

Vibration uh these tumultuous turbulent and trying times have led us to a dark place where it seems like our love for Humanity has dimmed and fear hate greed selfishness meanness oppression exploitation nationalism militarism imperialism terrorism xenophobia homophobia anti-black racism islamophobia and anti-Semitism have become magnified with the looming levels of

Threat to our current existence through physical sexual and socioeconomic violence terrorism Wars and AI as well as the Confluence of hate and genocide war and genocide greed and genocide and an unprecedented loss of human life it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with sadness anxiety fear and anger tempting us to succumb to

Hopelessness there are some that believe that there is no way out or through this current conundrum but I believe we can be who God created us to be as vessels of love and champions of Truth and Warriors for justice and Liberation if we truly hear and heed the

Words of Dr King and the King of Kings over the past 56 years we’ve honored The Life and Legacy of My Father by sharing so many powerful and inspiring words throughout the world despite some things changing what have we really done with the numerous words inspired by him how different is our

State uh the state of our world since we began commemorating his birthday as a collective in 1969 even before the King holiday at the time if you recall we were in the midst of the Vietnam war that ultimately claimed millions of casualties 56 years later we are witnessing two well publicized Wars

Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas and over 12 12 additional Wars in our world including in the Congo Yemen and Sudan Tigra and Ethiopia where we are losing millions of human lives across conflicts including children with the numbers mounting daily and yet we are silent and separated in our cries for a

Ceasefire the freeing of hostages and the condemning of terrorism in 1969 poverty was at 12.12% and today only slightly decreased to 11.5% from 1969 until now we made little progress in eliminating the racial disparities in housing Banking and lending Education Health Care income food security environmental exposures criminal justice Statewide political represent

Presentation and corporate leadership from the executive suites to the boardroom although 1969 found the federal government passing Federal hate crimes legislation with 45 States following suit in the ensuing years hate speech and crime is increasing substantially in 1969 homelessness where people were living in the streets was virtually

Non-existent but mayor in 2024 there are more than a half a million unsh to brothers and sisters and I appreciate your work across this nation since 1969 hear me gun own ownership has remained steady but the homicide rate has increased accessibility has been made easier and the use of guns and everyday con

Has become the norm since 1969 police brutality has increased against black brown and Indigenous people in some cases becoming more militarized and with minimal accountability and since 1969 violence and crime has have escalated to an unprecedented scale with global economic impact of violence amounting to and I want you to hear this around

14.4 trillion equivalent to 10.5% of the global GDP sad from 1969 to 2008 we saw a greater sense of bipartisanship actions but since 2008 we’ve seen a significant rise especially since 2016 in political polarization and vitriol along with a serious Decline and bipartisan action to address our most pressing

Issues I ask and you should be asking why have we not seen a substantial Harvest from the powerful and inspiring words over the past 56 years I don’t know about you but I’m tired of coming back time and a time again and we haven’t moved the needle

Much by now we should have seen poverty solved we should have passed strong gun responsibility legislation including Banning assault weapons we should have ensured health care for all we should have addressed our border challenges implemented Humane immigration reform with a just Pathway to citizenship we and I know it’s hard but

We should have constitutionalized voting rights I’m tired of renewing it it’s time to constitutionalize it we the people it’s time to rise up and take action in this area we the people in order to form a more perfect union we can’t wait on Washington it’s up to us to call these constitutional conventions

All across this n Nation if they can pass legislation to ban voting in different ways we the people can band together and demand we have constitutional conventions and begin the process of constitutionalizing the voting voting [Applause] rights yes we should have eradicated racism demilitarized in instead of further militarized we should have

Overcome racial disparities con conquered our proclivity to choose hate over love regulated our instincts to be destructive rather than constructive by now we should have found a way to work toward creating a world where Injustice ceases and love prevails as my father urged we should have discovered a way to

Live together as brothers and sisters so we do not have to perish together as fools so let me reiterate what I said last year we must move beyond the quotable King to the livable King stop saying I love King if you’re not going to live King stop stop stop misquoting King until you

Study King his word should be moving us Beyond a day of inspiration and service to a life own to shift the cultural climate and translate the quotable King into the livable King we must move Beyond speaking about King and begin and studying studying studying and studying and studying

King my father left us with kingy and nonviolence as a blueprint to make of this old world a new world it is a philosophy and methodology that provides us with the Courage the strategy the discipline to control our impulsiveness our need for vindictiveness and Vengeance a philosophy to resist

Injustice with a love Center Way of thinking and speaking and acting and engaging with the expressed intent to bring about personal cultural and societal transformation kingian nonviolence delivers Humanity from our most based self and calls us up to a higher purpose to destroy Injustice without destroying each other with our words and our

Weaponry it’s the study and application of King and nonviolence that would lead us through these dark days if we would but practice it on an everyday basis for you see a true studying of kingy and nonviolence will lead us to understanding that for King we can defeat Injustice ignorance and hold

People accountable at the same time without seeking to destroy diminish demean or ccel them our study can provide us with strategies and a course of action to challenge and correct policies and practices that don’t reflect our interdependence our interrelatedness and our interconnectedness we can shift the cultural climate and discover that

Through the study of kingy and nonviolence we can take our aggression and hostility toward Injustice and inhumanity and channel them into constructive corageous action that can disrupt and destroy evil yet leave others with with their dignity in his 1967 speech Beyond Vietnam a time to break silence daddy

Said I only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the Revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile World declaring Eternal hostility to Poverty racism and militarism I can’t help but note that he wrote about declaring Eternal hostility to what he called the triple evils of

Poverty racism and militarism and not declare not about declaring Eternal hostility to each other instead of calling us out Daddy called us up to defeat the evils that persistently work to influence and infect us he did not call us down to the lowlevel work of destroying each other studying and

Practicing of King in nonviolence to hold those who do unjust and inhumane things accountable without being unjust and inhumane in our response it guides Us in combating Injustice strategically and through difficult challenging and taboo conversations without heated conflicts through the study and practice of Ken and nonviolence we can take on

Dangerous ideologies without taking people out because we know the ideology and not the person is the target I know this is hard for y’all to hear but ye shall know the truth and the truth shall setx you free through the study and practice of kingy and nonviolence we learned to seek understanding rather

Than shutting people down and shutting people out through the study and practice of nonviolence we are challenged to move Beyond tribalism and tribulation to find a common pathway forward that benefits all through the study and practice of keny and nonviolence we can develop strategies we can develop strategies to ensure and I

Want you to hear this we can I’m say that again we can develop strategies to ensure Pol politicians with bad policy intentions don’t get elected to office but if they get elected to office we can ensure that that they don’t pass legislation that is harmful to humanity

Through the study and practice of King and nonviolence we can explore alternatives to war and create just a just Humane Equitable and peaceful world for all in his 1964 Noble lecture and I’m coming to a close my father said I suggest that that the philosophy and strategy of nonviolence immediately become a subject

Of study and serious experimentation in all fields of human Conflict by no means excluding relations between nations that immediacy is here it’s upon us it’s now and we must heed the prophet King’s words as the late Rabbi Abraham Joshua hesel reminds even some 55 years plus later if we

Don’t listen to King it’s at our own Peril let’s move from quoting King to studying King to avoid jeopardizing ourselves in this hour we do still have a choice today nonviolent coexistence violent coannihilation now is the time to shift the cultural climate through the study and practice

Of kingy and nonviolence log on to the king center.org to find out more and it starts with [Applause] me because of who you are I you glory of who you are I give you praise thank you Lord thank you Lord because of who you are on this Monday Martin Luther King celebration

Day I in my voice and I will say Lord I worship you somebody worship come on any worshippers here somebody worship Jesus somebody worship Jesus somebody worship Jesus somebody worship Jesus somebody worship Jesus thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord oh I feel him in

This place my God because of who you are because you are come on don’t ask him for anything right now can you lift the hand and just say because because of who you are I give you praise thank you Lord because of who you

Are I will lift my voice and say Lord I worship you just because just because Lord I worship you because come on can you lift your hands and tell them tell them he Jehovah Jehovah my provider jeh Lord Oh Lord Jehovah sh you’re my prce of

Peace and I worship Jesus it’s an honor it’s an hon I Love to Worship I Was Born To Worship just because come on sing it everybody because you are I give you glory because are I give you praise no other reason just because because of who you are I will lift my

Voice and Lord I worship you it’s my pleasure Jesus just because you’re I worship you because come on lift your hands high and tell really tell you’re Jehovah my provider my Proov oh [Applause] Lord sh you’re my prin PE and I worship you Jesus is an honor not because of what you go but just because of who you are who you are Jehovah my God I feel him in this place my provider Jehovah Jehovah Lord Jehovah sh my prin of

Peace and I worship you Jesus my God every time I feel my heart be it reminds me I was created I breathe I was born a magnif a joia bow before you nobody like a Jesus nobody like you Lord your [Applause] H somebody worship even though you don’t

Feel like it right now can you lift your hand and just say I love you just because I love you Iesus hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah [Applause] H and give God some praise in this house come on God your sustainer God your keeper God your way maker God my grandma would say the lily of the valley the bright and Morning Star we give God praise today can you help me thank God for the

Ministry gift of Vicki Yohi come on let’s thank God for her Ministry while we are celebrating and clapping can we thank God for the Reverend Dr Bernice King bless come on we can do better than that let’s thank God for a relevant prophetic voice necessary for these

Times we celebrate her thank you thank you we thank you the old adage says there only two times that a preacher feels like preaching and that is when a preacher is doing bad preaching and when a preacher is doing good preaching well she was preaching so good I start feeling like

Preaching at this time we will receive greetings from The Honorable Governor Brian km by video governor of the state of Georgia then we will hear from The Honorable mayor of the city of Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens then we will be blessed to hear the prophetic words of my Morehouse

Brother and Alpha brother the esteemed senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and the first black United States senator of the state of Georgia The Honorable the Reverend Raphael gelo [Applause] warau I Channel my inner Dean Carter to get that middle name in there and then we will be blessed to hear a

International tribute from the Reverend Dr Young hon Lee who serves the yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea he pastors 6,000 members at that church Let the church say Amen this is Governor Brian Kim and I’m first lady Marty K on behalf of the state of Georgia it is our honor to once

Again bring you greetings on Martin Luther King Junior Day few people have left such an enduring mark on our state and Nation Dr King’s philosophy of nonviolence and freedom for all continues to shape our national conscience today in the face of violent resistance few of us could imagine he

Remained committed to his ideals and helped Forge a more perfect union for all Americans today we honor the memory of this towering figure and affirm our commitment to the shared vision for our nation to live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all thank you

All for your efforts to carry on Dr King’s Legacy and Mission God bless you all good morning to Dr Bernice King and the entire King Family to you Reverend Senator waro and all the elected officials here to all of the clergy as well as as today’s visiting dignitaries

And guests it is my honor to represent the people of the city of Atlanta as we commemorate Dr Martin Luther King Jr ketta Scott King and their legacy I’ve been thinking about Dr King and what his message uh to us would likely be had he been blessed to see this 95th birthday

Even with everything that’s going on in the world and I mean there is a a whole lot going on in the world right now I believe that we would still hear a word from him that would offer us a message of Hope and optimism that is the

Spirit that I carry with me and I believe that it is also the prevailing Spirit of all of you gathered here today the first time I spoke to you in 2022 as mayor I encouraged you to lean on me when I returned in 2023 I told you

Atlanta was a group project and I declared it our year of the youth today though in 2024 as we ramp up for a national election that will have serious implications for all of our future I want to call your attention to something that Dr keing warned us about and talked

To us about it 50 years ago the fierce urgency of now this July will Mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 it outlawed racial segregation and made employment discrimination illegal but 3 years after that Dr King reminded us that the struggle for equality was

Just beginning 60 years later we are witnessing attacks on diversity equity and inclusion efforts and affirmative action programs in boardrooms classrooms and in the halls of government simultaneously the poverty that Dr King talked about in 1967 rages on as devastating impacts on people of color too many people lack access to

Adequate housing too many lack access to Affordable Health Care and too many lack access to jobs that pay living wages our brothers and sisters around the globe and too many right here at home are caught up in that vicious cycle of violence last week I spent the morning

With a group of talented and gifted student leaders at Booker T Washington High School here in Atlanta Dr King’s Armada I hear some wh and high Folks up in the audience I know y’all I know it when I hear it as I listen to these teenagers talk about their lives and

Their hopes and their fears I realize that many of their challenges are also caused by the same evils more than 50 years after Dr King first spoke about them this is just something of what was top of mind for those young people human trafficking gang and gun violence near

Their homes safe passage routes to school at a time when they should be living Dr King’s dream they are trying to figure it out to their credit they are succeeding they are advocating for positive change for themselves and their communities these students have taken the theme that we have today that it

Starts with me and have made it their own Mantra they walked into a library at their school with the mayor and said thank you for coming now we want you to help us with a few things and I heard them in an effort to mitigate the harm

Caused to families and we have joined a trusted public partner and launched an eviction diversion program and Relief Fund when housing PRI prices Skyrocket for both renters and buyers it’s nearly impossible for Working Families to find safe and stable housing we take when we do that we take away one of the core

Foundations of wealth building for lower and middle income families to this end we have delivered more than 3,000 units of affordable housing with another 5,000 on the way 50 years ago this month mayor mayor Jackson was sworn in as Atlanta’s first black mayor and immediately yeah he immediately put the

Establishment on notice that Atlanta would no longer conduct business as usual with that move Maynard honored Dr King’s dream of economic inclusion and set the stage for wealth building in minority communities and we along with cities all across America celebrate and carry that mandate till this day you see

Mayard knew like Martin before him that business as usual would serve to oppress marginalized communities they knew that this business as usual would leave too many hungry stomachs and hurting bodies business as usual will leave too many outside in the cold business as usual will leave too many left behind and left

Out I am made I am I’m just done with business as usual so this summer we hired 5,000 young people and paid them an average of $17 an hour minimum wage to keep them off the streets so they can earn what they learn I’m done with business as usual I want

You to know that we’re getting what you’re getting from your investment to this group project that I spoke about last year that group project is bearing fruit two weeks ago for the first time in four years we have reported a reduction in homicides and violent crime across this city this who project is

Working we’re done with business as usual and so I walked away from these young people at Booker T Washington High School with an even clearer picture of where we must go from here Dr King said out of the Mountain of Despair a stone of Hope and I am committed to helping

These students in all of Atlanta who are in search of their Stone of hope we will continue to provide tangible Solutions and Pathways for Atlanta families to regain their footing their footing whether it is in housing Workforce development or Public Safety because we’re done with business as usual our

Young people are positive about their future they have hope and I’m committed to ensuring that they live in a city where they can look towards their future and not over their shoulders the problem we Face are bigger than one elected official bigger than one single Church bigger than one nonprofit this will take

All of us the group project to Build a Better Stronger soci Society I am determined to make sure that our Collective response to the call to action is simple I am here we will go together we are done with business as usual this indeed is a fish urgency of now moment

God bless you and happy MLK Day good morning it is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you again those who are in the sanctuary those who are on television and online to the Ean of bapti Church of America’s Freedom Church we’re grateful for the work and the witness of the King

Center and the King family and on this the very first king day since her triumphant transition as her pastor I remember fondly the enduring love and profound respect that all of us have for the matriarch of our church big sister of Martin Luther King Jr let’s remember Christine King

Faris come on give God praise for Dr Christine King Faris let Earth celebrate her and let the heavens Rejoice how we miss her and how we miss her hats she was the longest serving member of the ebener Baptist Church and one of the longest serving members of The Faculty at Spelman College ever teacher daughter of a Preacher happy birthday Dr Martin Luther King Jr 995 years come on let’s hear for Dr King happy birthday to America’s great [Applause] prophet the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr co-pastor of this Church stood in in the tradition of his maternal grandfather ad Williams second pastor of this church Martin Luther King senior daddy king third pastor of this church his claran voice of conscience at as it was informed by that tradition summons us together at a moment when there are forces at work in

Our country trying desperately to tear us apart they’re trying to tear us apart because people who have no vision traffic in division they do not know how to lead us and so they are trying to divide us for their own shortterm political purposes but we’ve seen this movie before we’re not going for

It there are elected officials in our great country Waging War against democracy itself great Ryan hold neber said humankind’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible and our capacity for Injustice makes democracy necessary whether you’re on the right or the left you got to fight for the

Democracy I I say that I say that not just as a senator I said it as a pastor because I believe that democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea the notion that each of us has within ourselves a spark of the Divine that we are a reflection of the

Very glory of God it is the Covenant that we have with one another as an American people eus Unum out of many one with all of our differences and all of the distinctive expressions of our diverse and variegated Humanity we must stand together eus out of many

One it takes a great spirit the spirit of Martin King Jr to summon Raphael warau and Liz Cheney to the same pull pit at the same [Applause] time now I don’t agree with her on most things politically but it doesn’t what we are facing right now is deeper than

That three years ago the people of Georgia made this Grand idea of our diverse and variegated Humanity come alive when you sent a kid who grew up in the projects and my brother John OA the son of an immigrant mother both of us inspired and informed by John

Lewis you made me Georgia’s first African-American senator made him Georgia’s first Jewish senator in one Fell Swoop Georgia did that state in the old Confederacy but that was January 5th and I was feeling mighty good I was on all the morning shows I knew I had arri I had arrived I

Was on The View talking to whoopy Goldberg the next day was January 6 we witnessed the most violent assault on our nation’s capital since the War of 1812 American citizens not not Outsiders not anybody stealing over the Border in the Border American citizens breach perimeters stormed the building and assaulted police officers broke windows and Furniture outside they

Built Gallows with a noose and called for the hanging of the vice president then that ugliness metastasized into a growing cancer of voter suppression bills and laws across the body politics starting right here in Georgia the same state that sent its first African-American senator and its first Jewish Senator to the

Senate they did all of that in Response to this Grand Coalition this increasingly and wonderfully diverse Humanity stood up together to push our country closer to its ideals and so we must stand up this year and vote like we’ve never voted before all right I wish we were just having you know normal conventional arguments between Democrats and Republicans but

This ain’t about right and left this is about right and wrong it’s about whether you want this election to be the last election you better stand up and vote talking about your vote doesn’t count if your vote didn’t count why folk trying so hard to keep you from voting stand

And use your voice stand up and use your vote speak up John Lewis cross that Edmund Pettis Bridge face down brutality and violence who am I to stay home at a time like this We Stand where two ways meet between January 5th and January 6 I choose January 5th I choose the

US I choose us all of us I believe that a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children and our prayers are stronger when we pray together so we must pray together we must stand together stand up for workers who still can’t afford health

Care in a state that refuses to expand Medicaid stand up for the children of Georgia as our state government leaders decided to turn down millions of dollars that would have provided food security to Hungry children in the summer and they said we we don’t need that money I

Wonder who are the wi they’re talking about because I know children right down the street who could benefit from that food in that food security those nutrition benefits stand up for workers and working families who need child care stand up for our seniors who need health care I’m glad that I was

Able to write a bill that cap the cost of insulin to no more than $35 of out of pocket cost we ought to do it for everybody stand up for the victims of America’s so-called War on Drugs that too often has been a war on black and brown

Citizens stand up for our Jewish sisters and brothers Still reeling in the heinous and horrific attack by hamash on October 7th unbridled brutality and cruelty family members taken away as hostages rape and sexual violence used as a weapon of War stand up for them in the

Midst of this trauma but also stand up for our Palestinian sisters and brothers who are already suffering stand up we have to stand up for one another stand up for men and men ought to stand up for women and the right of women to have control over

Their own bodies we have to stand up for one another stand up for the for gay sisters and brothers stand up for disabled sisters and brothers stand up for the most marginalized members of the Human family because if we stand up for one another Freedom will have a chance love and

Human dignity will have a chance Justice will have a chance if we stand together if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray pray with their lips and pray with their legs seek my face turn from their wicked ways I will hear from Heaven I will forgive

Their s sins and I will heal the [Applause] lamb good morning morning God bless all of you praise the Lord I came here and deliver a message six years six years ago at the 50s Dr M King Jr annual commemorative service I’m very honored to be here again praise the

Lord we gathered together here to celebrate the 95th birthday of Dr ma Luther King Jr the world history is led by a few readers who have great dreams and Visions Dr King was one of them about 60 years ago Dr King gave a mental speech to 250,000 civil rights supporters at the

Linol Memorial in Washington DC even now we can hear his I Have a Dream speech in our heart praise the lord we must dream dreams like Dr King when a seed is planted it bursts grows and bear fruits now Dr King’s Legacy has been planted it must continue the Bible declares that where

There there is no vision the people perish now is a time for us to continue dreaming I dream that one day wor will cease and peace will reign throughout the world by the grace of God I dream that one day racism no longer exist and human rights will be respected equally

I dreamed that one day Korea the only country in this world that is still still divided we will be United by the grace of God praise the Lord I dream that Isaiah’s prophecy will be fulfilled as Dr King declares 60 years ago one day every Valley shall be

Exalted and every mountain and here shall be made the low the roow places will be plain and the Crooked places shall be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and All Flesh shall see together let us dream that the one day everyone will love and respect one another

No matter what let’s dream that everyone will joined together to work for the world freedom and peace I believe that our God accomplish his work in his time may the Lord Rich bless all of you thank you very much thank you so as they bring out the mics

We are preparing now for very special time this is the point in our service where we hear from our youth the youth were essential to the movement from the greens burrow four at lunch counters to the Freedom Riders who were so apt at stirring up good trouble that Attorney General Robert Kennedy

Called John Sig faor and said who is this Diane Nash at the age of 19 she stirred the nation alongside John Lewis the youth were essential and we will now have in that same vein all the way from South Korea a musical performance from the dream choir continuing to reiterate not

Only the voice of Youth but the global vision that Dr King so aptly stated even in his final writing Where Do We Go From Here chaos or community in his vision of the world house following the dream choir we will have a presentation under the direction of miss Connie Smith

Lindsay and that will include youth from Morehouse College with Mr Gregory Charles Brown Mr Anthony Mitchell from Clark Atlanta Miss Jordan Olivia Hudson from Spelman Miss Crystal maalla from Morris Brown Miss Sydney Jeffrey from Ebenezer and decada High School Mr Christian Ellis Scott Beloved Community Leadership Academy Miss baa salami Atlanta

International School Miss Maria Bravo Montes Mountain View High School Mr Jamal Ramsey Samad St Pas Catholic High School Miss Lexa Ramesh babo Atlanta International School Miss tiia scrubs Morris Brown I’m I’m saying all the names Miss Anissa suffren crumby Woodward Academy and Mr Robert Briggs Jr from Morehouse College now we shall hear

From the dream [Applause] Choir Speee of Like me I but I found was but now I See The I want was lost but now And Am and the night with from the mountain to the The The [Applause] America for how long is this war going to last the destruction is unimaginable unbelievable uncashable inhumane too painful to watch no words if Dr Martin Lu Luther King Jr were standing here today in ebener Baptist Church his spiritual home in the church where he preached sermons about faith faith justice justice nonviolence

Non peace over War peace over War what would Dr K say to our generation what would he say to political and religious leaders sitting quietly on the sideline on February 25th 1967 Dr King said in his speech entitled The casualty of of the war Vietnam that it asserts loudly

That the past is prophetic and that Wars are poor for carving out peaceful tomorrow King’s Ministry was based on a foundation that peace is better than war and that nonviolence is stronger than weapons of Destruction Dr King said that peace is not merely the absence of some negative Force War tensions confusion

But it is the presence of some positive force Justice good will the the power of the kingdom of God what can we learn from Dr King’s words and principles to bring peace with Justice over war and Dr King’s Nob Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo Norway on December 10th

1964 said I refuse to accept the cynical notion that Nation after Nation must spiral down a militaristic Stairway it’s the hell of thermonuclear destruction I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word this is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant I believe that even amid

Today’s mortar bursts and whining bullets there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow I believe that wounded jce lying prostrate on the blood flowing streets of our Nations can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men I have the audacity to believe that peoples

Everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies education and culture for their minds and dignity equality and freedom for their Spirits I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other centered can build up I still believe that one day all mankind will

Bow to the a of God and be Crown triumphant over War triumphant over war and bled and N by of Good Will proclaim the rule of the land and The Lion and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under

His own V in Victory and None Shall be afraid I still believe that we shall overcome us courage this faith can give us courage to face the uncertainty of the future it will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward strive toward the city of freedom freedom when our days

Become dreary like low hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born the Nobel Peace Prize speech was 60 years ago six decades ago how are these words

Still relevant for Our Generation but how are we to deal with situations where war and Injustice Force us to leave our own dreams our homes our countries and our fam Dr King preached the sermon when peace becomes obnoxious to the congregation at dexra Avenue Baptist Church on March 10th

1956 Dr King said a federal judge handed down a verdict which stated in substance that the University of Alabama could no longer deny admissions to person because of their race with the handy down of this the verdict a brave young lady by the name of arine Lucy was admitted as

The first negro student to be admitted in the history of the University of Alabama this is a great moment and a great decision but with the announcement of this decision the vanguards of old order began to emerge the for of evil began to conal as soon as Authur and Lucy stepped

Fo on campus a group full of spoiled students led by Leonard Wilson and a group of vicious criminals began threatening her under every hand were bur eggs and Bricks were thrown at her the mob even jumped on top of the car in which she was riding finally the president and trustees of

The University of Alabama asked Al to for her own safety and for the of the university the next day after aine was dismissed the paper came out with this headline things are quiet in Tuscaloosa today there is peace on the campus of the University of Alabama yes things

Were quiet in tus yes there was peace on the campus but it was peace at a great price it was peace that had been purchased at the exorbitant price of an trustor succumbing to the caises of a vicious mob it was peace that had been purchased at the price of L mocy to

Reign supreme over democracy it was peace that had been purchased at the price of the capitulating to the forces of Darkness this is the type of peace that all men of Goodwill hate it is the type of peace that is obnoxious is the type of that stinks in the nostrils of the

Almighty God now let me hasten to say that this is not a concession to or a justification for War I see no moral justification for war war is De war war is devastating and we know now that if we continue to use weapons of Destruction our nation will

Be plunged across the abyss of Destruction in his Nobel Peace Prize lecture in Alo Norway on December 11th 1964 do the king addressed the importance of understanding the principles of nonviolence to address injustices and even Wars Dr King said and proness to engage in war is still a fact

But wisdom born of experience to tell us that war is obsolete there may have been a time when War served as a NE of Good by preventing the spread and growth of an evil force but but the destructive power of modern weapons eliminated even the possibility that war may serve as a

Negative good if we assume that life is worth living and that man has a right to survive then we must find an alternative to war in a day when Vehicles hurdle through outer space and guided ballistic missiles carve highways of death through the stratosphere no Nation can claim victory

In war a so-called limited war will leave little more than a calamitous legacy of human suffering political iCal disillusionment political Toral and spiritual disillusionment a World War God forbid will leave only smoldering ashes as a mute testimony of human race whose Folly led inexorably to Ultimate Death

So if Modern Man continues to flirt unhesitatingly with war he will transform his Earthly habitat into an inferno that even the mind of Dante could not imagine therefore I venture to suggest to all of you and all who hear and may eventually read these words that the philosophy and the strategy of non

Violence become immediately a subject of for study and for serious experimentation in every field of human Conflict by no means excluding the relations between nations it is after all nation states which make war which have produced the weapons which threaten the survival of mankind and which are both genocidal and suicidal in character

[Applause] here also we have ancient habits to deal with vast structures of power indescribably complicated problems to solve but unless we Advocate our Humanity alog together and succumb to fear and impotence in the presence of the weapons we have ourselves created it is as imperative and Urgent to put an end to

War war and violence between nations as it is to put an end to racial Injustice equality with whites will hardly solve the problems of either whites or Negroes if it means equality in a society under dispel of Terror and the world doomed of Extinction I do not wish to minimize the

Complexity of the problems that need to be faced in achieving disarmament and peace but I think it is a fact that we shall not have the will the courage and the insight to deal with such matters unless this is a field we are prepared to undergo a mental and spiritual

Re-evaluation a change of focus which will enable us to see that things which seem most real and Power power ful are indeed now unreal and have come under the sentence of death we will not build a peaceful world by following a negative path it is not enough to say we must not

Wage war it is necessary to love peace and to sacrifice for it we must concentrate not merely on the negative exposion of War but on the positive affirmation of peace we must see that peace represents a sweeter music a cosmic Melody that is far superior to the discords of War somehow we must

Transform the Dynamics of the world power struggle from the negative nuclear arms race which no one can wi to a positive contest to harness man’s creative genius for the purpose of making peace and prosperity a reality for all of the nations of world [Applause] World in short we must shift the arms

Race into a peace race peace race if we have the will and determination to mount such a peace offensive we will unlock hither to tightly sealed doors of Hope and transform our imminent Cosmic elegy into a Psalm of creative fulfillment all that I have said boils down to the point

Of affirming that Mankind’s survival is dependent on man’s ability to solve the problems of racial Injustice poverty and War the solution of these problems is in turn dependent upon man saring his moral progress with his scientific progress and learning the Practical Art of Living In Harmony poverty and War the

Principles of nonviolence prepare us to know how to respond to war and conflict in our nation and Global Community but we must not stand around and silence afraid of the consequences to speak against War we must break our silence against War Dr King was not afraid to address

Religious leaders and critics in 1967 at Riverside Church he spoke out against the Vietnam War even though some strongly disagreed and found it unpopular and risky Dr King’s words guide us in this situation today of knowing how and what to say as we study the tool tools of nonviolence and as we

Break our silence Dr King said a time comes when silence is betrayal we still have a choice today nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation we must move past indecision to action we must find new ways to speak for peace peace with justice peace with Justice in peace with Justice in Sudan peace with jce

Jce peace with Justice EOP peace with justice peace with Justice in Ukraine peace with Justice United States peace with Justice and Justice throughout the developing world a world that waters on our doors if we do not act we shall surely be dragged Down The Long Dark and shameful corridors of time reserve for

Those who possess power without compassion might without morality and strength without sight and if only we will make the right choice we will be able to transform the pending and Cosmic elery into a creative Psalm of Peace if we will make the right choice we will be able to transform the

Jangling Discord of our world into a beautiful syphy of Brotherhood if we will but make the right choice we will be able to speed up the day all over America and all over the world when Justice will roll down like Waters and righteousness like a mighty stream [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] I know the Lord we make way yes he will I know the Lord we make oh [Applause] where he make way for me and I Lord he will he will he will see I know the Lord make away oh yes yes oh yeah I have a savior who I can

Tell all of my problems too yes well see when I was down and out there nobody will be able to put the [Applause] eye I go to God in see friend and you know what I’m going to leave all of my leave all of my burdens to right there

Yes I know the Lord Make way oh yes he yes yes he will he will he will he will he will be your friend to the very end yes he will he will yes he will yes he will he oh yes He he will be there when you need him just hang on [Applause] yes yes I know the Lord back [Applause] way oh oh yes Way I know I know will I know the Lord woo make way oh oh yes he Will oh yeah if you know the Lord has made a way in your life why don’t you say hallelujah when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he’s done for me my soul Cries Out hallelujah thank you Lord for saving me sister Cali day I know the

Lord will make a way it might be dark right now but somebody say say I know I know the Lord will see us through I want to take this moment just to uh recognize in groups uh those who are with us here today historically years ago we used to call names but if

We did that today we would be here till this afternoon when the football game starts this evening so I want to start first with our Premier partner um since 1980 here in the Martin Luther King Jr Historical Park so I would like to recognize those who serve in the Martin

Luther King National Historical Park and I want to take uh and I’d ask them to stand so when I call your name if they are here today I don’t know if any of them are here you said where well I’m going to take the P Personal Privilege this one in the back

Of recognizing the outgoing superintendent who served us very well we love you appreciate to former superintendent Judy Forte Saturday was her last day but she’s still here to support us we thank God for you and we appreciate all the work you’re doing and looking forward to celebrating you in February all elected

Officials who are here today state city county school boards wherever you are let us recognize them for their service thank you and God bless you for your service in this time all those uh who serve as presidents and deans of college and universities if you’re here with us today any of our

College presidents University presidents thank you so much good to see you president of Emory University leaders Executives of Corporations foundations and Business Leaders if you would stand at this time if you fall into that category we appreciate your work we appreciate you being here with us today members of the

Media and entertainment Community where are you any B we know Fox 5 WJ Atlanta we see you over here many of you are busy working thank you uh for your support members of my community those Faith leaders the ones who pray for us and stand out and fight for justice for

Us any faith leaders here today wherever you are across the SP God bless you for your service members of the Civic Community Civic and Community leaders if you are here today I see Helen there I see Nancy there I see all of you all good to see you today God bless you

I know these numbers are dwindling but I want to still take the opportunity to recognize if we have any of those who served as part of the ground crew and foot soldiers in my father’s movement there may still be some here today God bless you let us honor her God bless you amen

Amen good to see you Mr Thomas King C Partners you should know who you are if you partnered with the King Center I want to recognize you and thank you for your partnership and the work we do together if you’re here today if you would just stand if you represent

Any of those entities and organizations many of them were there thank you so much they are probably working across the street a few are here in this Sanctuary but I certainly want to thank those who help me keep this King Center moving who hold up my arms

Who work diligently people give give me the credit but I give them the credit um and so I want to thank all of the King Center staff if you would stand and team members those who are here thank you so much for the work that you do dayto day

Uh to carry the king Legacy forward and the King Center volunteers many of them volunteer now in our service project uh but there may be others who are here who’ve been part of that King Center volunteer Cadre if you’re here today if you will stand thank you so much we appreciate

Each and every one of you God bless you and now I have the honor and somewhat a sad privilege to recognize um my family and I say a sad privilege because last year as I stood here as you remember um who walked in the door was my aunt Dr Christine King

Faris as Pastor warau has already acknowledged that was her last service in being with her us um and before I say anything more about her I want to recognize uh the one who’s continuing the tradition and wearing those hats she tried to get me to wear one today y’all I said I’m not

Ready but I want to recognize the daughter of Dr Christine King feris Dr Angela Ferris Watkins and her daughter Ferris Watkins who is here with us today and uh our cousin Laurel Hill Laurel members of The King Family and the other members of the king family thank you for

Your presence thank you Willie for you being here today as well um my aunt was the consistent faithful single person who stood side by side with my mother in the founding of the Martin Luther King Jr at that time time Memorial center which is now the Martin Luther King Jr Center for

Nonviolence social change the King Center for 37 years serving eventually as the senior vice president and Treasurer um and eventually the vice chair and Treasurer she served Faithfully until my mother and she served faithfully and even after my mother passed after the 37 years together she continued to serve and this

Service had her imprint on it for years she presided at this particular service for 49 years and I had the privilege of standing by her side co-residing for 20 of those years and we dearly miss her as the matriarch of of our family we miss her presence we miss miss her

Wisdom and we want to honor her on um today this service was a service that she held near and dear to her heart and she’s done so much uh in education but I wanted people to know that she also was heavily responsible for us being here today and even with the relationship

With W TV Fox 5 and so um at this time um I want to go to the video um last year was her 55th time in attending the service and so now we want to pay tribute to Dr Christine King Ferris and remember her life and her Legacy

And it will be S followed by a musical selection from the beginning Dr Christine King Ferris worked hand inand with Mrs ketta Scott King in building and developing the King Center Dr Farris served as the center’s first senior Vice chair and Treasurer and the center’s longest serving officer and

Volunteer Dr Christine King faris’s educational leadership laid the nonviolent academic foundation for the center she led the Martin Luther King Jr Early Learning Academy and authored books and nonviolent curriculums that are still used today in fact this spring the King Center is relaunching the teach King K through2 curriculum adapted from

The original 1980s Curriculum spearheaded by the leadership of Dr Christine King FIS this refreshed learning experience brings Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s life and ideas is to a new generation Dr Ferris and Mrs King were the heart and soul of the annual King ecumenical service now known as the

Martin Luther King Jr Beloved Community commemorative Service as well as other courses concerts and the salute to Greatness Awards she chaired the planning committee for the salute to Greatness Awards in recognition of her tireless commitment dedicated servant leadership and rice the King Center honored Dr Ferris with a salute to

Greatness distinguished Legacy of service award in 2015 the award was renamed the Beloved Community Christine King Ferris Legacy of service and education award in honor of her 63 years in education including 56 years of service at Spelman College thank you Bernie for that very kind and moving

Tribute and I want to thank all of you and also for the dedicated leadership of the King Center and the way that you have energized our programs and reached out to educate the new generation about your father’s philosophy I’m honored to received this beautiful distinguished Legacy of service

Award but I’m Overjoyed that my life took this interesting turn because being intimately involved in the development of the King Center has been an enormously rewarding experience thank you and God bless you all [Applause] we are indeed honored to pay tribute to Dr Christine King Ferris by singing this

Particular selection I will give thanks to thee Oh Lord some of you will perhaps not know this was one of her favorite inants in fact she sang the Solo in this particular piece brilliantly many years ago when she sang in the ebena church choir and it is for

That reason that we are offering this in tribute to her our soloist this morning is soprano Dr Shala thrash with the yuzi brown Society of corers AR and we are accompanied by Ella Lewis Na [Applause] [Applause] Toy [Applause] To [Applause] Up [Applause] [Applause] Glor [Applause] GL [Applause] [Applause] set up [Applause] God Glory [Applause] Glor [Applause] [Applause] to [Applause] [Applause] all [Applause] let us give the chorus one more route in Round of Applause thank you I remember growing up watching this service with my late grandmother and of course I was always amazed at which hat Dr Christine King Ferris was going to choose to wear that year wasn’t she color

Coordinated each and every year can we celebrate her labor her love and her Legacy one more time I’m from DEC weare’s greater so my diction and elocution will never amount to the late Dr Christine King Ferris although I’ll do my best today now at this time we receive tributes to Dr

Martin Luther King Jr from Dr Miguel cordona US Secretary of Education followed by Dr Hal Valu vakalahi president and CEO of the Council of Social Work education followed by Ben Stiller actor comedian and philanthropist and lastly we will hear from The Honorable Liz Cheney former representative from

Wyoming after which we will be blessed by one of the most influential and inspirational voices my brother Jonathan MC reyolds Let the Church Say Amen well let me be one of the first ones to wish you a good afternoon thank you to the Reverend Dr Bernice King The King Center and family

And all of our distinguished speakers and guests I am humbled to be here today at Ebenezer Baptist Church to commemorate the great Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr here in this hallowed space where Dr King’s powerful words moved so many we celebrate his legacy we honor his

Memory and we lift up his life’s work recognizing both the progress we’ve made as a nation thanks to his leadership and the fact that there is still so much work to be done to achieve what he envisioned in that spirit I want to offer a quick reflection

It’s about one of Dr King’s greatest speeches it was called normaly never again it’s one you may not have heard in fact none of us have because it was never delivered it was and will always remain a draft because ultimately Dr King chose to give a different speech for the

Occasion it became known as I have a dream now why do I bring this up because when you think about it both versions of the speech were two sides of the same coin two equally important and Powerful reflections of Dr King’s vision of the world after all there is no pursuing the

Dream of justice for the future without breaking the Norms of Injustice in the present Dr King understood that normal only works for those with privilege and power and it fails too many more he understood that the drive of so many to return to normaly was really about the people who benefited

From a broken and unjust status quo whose comfortable lives were disrupted by the push to achieve the dream of progress speaking today as Secretary of Education and as a lifelong educator I embrace that understanding in the change we seek in education you see we refuse to accept normal when what our nation

Has normalized is a system that is failing black and brown students long before the pandemic we refuse to accept normal when we have normalized Underinvestigated to deny the legacies of racism and segregation when they engage in revisionist history or ban books that teach black his history despite the fact that black history is American history we refuse to accept normal when some prefer to protect assault weapons over protecting children and teachers

And as we do so we remind ourselves of the imperative the urgency of always working together toward Dr King’s dream of a more just and a more hopeful Nation as we heard today it starts with us so let’s build an education system where every child has a fair shot at

Success no matter their race or their zip code let’s lift up our nation our nation’s historically black colleges and universities who we know punch above their weight and produce black Excellence throughout our country you see HBCU are responsible for 50% of the black dentists in this country they’re responsible for 80% of

Our black judges in this country and they’re responsible for 100% of our black vice presidents in this country let’s Foster schools and communities that embrace the beautiful diversity of our nation that see our differences as strengths to celebrate under one flag so to take inspiration for Dr King

Let’s work together to realize the dream of a better future and let’s strive for normaly never again today let’s renew our resolve to carry on his life work to to bend the long Ark of the moral Universe ever further toward Justice we can we must and we will thank [Applause] you Beloved Community Dr bise King and the King Ohana Malo Le and Aloha Dr Martin Luther King Jr MRSA Scott King I do not take it for granted that I’m able to offer my acknowledgement of

God the land and the man and the love of his life in my native tongue so thank you for the seat at this abundant table and the opportunity to express love and deep gratitude for a life in a category of its own and a call to shift the culture climate through Kenyan

Nonviolence as a beneficiary of the dream I’m honored to stand at the intersection as a descendant of voyagers of Mani with Pacific ancestors from Tonga Aki and nurturers from hav and my space of professional contribution at the Council on social re education to honor Dr King a force of Life whose Mana

Reached even to the farthest and most nuanced corners of the globe including Oceania in the teachings of our Cuna or Elders in Pacific cultures one’s Pico or one’s Center or core or literally one’s Naval is where life begins in the origin of one’s Mana or power and Essence the

Pico is our point of connection to the past present and future for Pacific peoples navigating Uncharted water symbolically and literally is linked to one’s pickle and an ancient worldview that is fundamentally centered on reverence for the land and water and all of its inhabitants honoring family and community and grounding in

Responsibility with a deep inseverable spiritual connection to ancestral knowledge this is the very Mana or Essence of Dr King’s Legacy which Legacy has at its picle Justice for All Humans and nonhumans the seen and the Unseen this sense of centeredness connection and shared responsibility for people and place in Dr King’s Legacy is

Echoed in the vision and mission of the Council on social work education to prepare Social Work Educators researchers practitioners and leaders to promote Health well-being dignity and worth of the person and justice for all diversity equity and inclusion across a lifespan and in systems with respect to culture and context a perfect harmony

With the legacy of Dr King whose dream en abl champions of community like social workers to create seats at the table for often invisible communities in all our communities positioning all of us to overcome in essence Dr King posed a question that capture the spirit and

Meaning of Pico over half a century ago in 1967 when he asked where do we go from here it is a profound and centering question posed to that generation this generation and passed on to the next generation and as long as we continue to ask that question in the vision of Dr

King’s dream opportunities for New Beginnings connection and responsibility will exist may I infer her from the life of Dr King and all of the kings that our best bet in answering the centering Pico question is still Education Service and love I end on a personal note with deep

Gratitude for that familiar dream that I first heard as a little girl and have tried my best to embrace in my Pio and live and pass on to the entire King family and Community particularly Dr Bernice King the most treasured of Virtues Of Pacific peoples is gratitude so Mahal FAA

V Dr Martin Luther King Jr for the Mana of that dream through which my 16-year-old son diavalo and all our sons and daughters can hope love work school and live live in Funtown and any town and embrace deep in their Pico thank you again for this honor God bless to [Applause] a

Hello uh Dr King members of the King Center King Community here in Atlanta it is uh such an incredible honor to be here I know what you’re thinking how did the guy who made Zoolander and Tropic Thunder end up standing at the pulpit of the Ebenezer Baptist Church on this

Day did something get mixed up in the mail maybe there’s another Ben Stiller out there that they were uh actually trying to reach a young Baptist minister with a vaguely Jewish sounding name but in any event it really is such uh it’s such an incredible honor to be

Here in this place and to honor one of my heroes um this is one of those places that that lives inside your psyche if you grow up in this country at a certain time like I did it represents something I was born in November 1965 long time

Ago on the upper west side of Manhattan and the day that I was born there was this picture in the newspaper it was uh it was a photo of a young black man dressed in a suit and he was sitting in a barber’s chair here in Atlanta and the

Caption under the photo read Reverend BJ Johnson member of Dr Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian leadership conference sits in a barber chair and then the next line was this police warned him he was trespassing rever Rend Johnson was trespassing the article explained because that barber shop had a policy of

Only serving Atlanta’s white residents that day though Dr King and his organization decided that that was wrong and they were going to do something about it now this was November 1965 Reverend King and his allies had just gotten the Civil Rights Act passed the year before they got the Voting

Rights Act passed uh signed into law by the president only a few months earlier but on that day they were at this local barber shop here in Atlanta calling attention to blatant and immoral discrimination that still existed even here in Dr King’s City and it was wrong

And they were going to do something about it the simple Act of sitting in a chair waiting to get your haircut and facing arrest for doing so it was nonviolent direct action that was meant to reach people’s hearts to wake them up to this sort of insane Injustice when the police told Reverend

John son that he was trespassing and he’d need to leave the barber shop immediately or be taken to jail he told the police that he was going home to go get his jail clothes he said we’re coming back and staying until this thing is over now I

Was literally just being born when this was happening so I admit I don’t remember the ex specific event uh but that sort of determined righteous action that was the world that I was being brought into a world being shaped every day by the unbending moral Clarity

Of Dr King and his allies it’s what my parents taught me living up in New York City uh in the late 1960s they had success as a comedy team Stiller and mea and much of their act was based on their mixed marriage my mom was Irish Catholic

My dad was Jewish and uh at a time when mixed marriages of any kind were challenging they were liberal and Progressive they went to civil rights marches but we weren’t living in the South and I wasn’t experiencing the day-to-day injustices that still existed all over the country being a Jewish kid in New

York I never even really experienced anti-Semitism uh in a lot of ways I grew up aware but unaware of the struggle that was still going on but what I did know and I knew it in my bones even as a kid growing up was that this place right

Here this church it stood for righteousness for Fearless sacrifice in pursuit of dignity and equality it was it was Reverend Johnson sitting in that barber chair and only leaving so he could go get his jail clothes it was Dr King organizing powerful nonviolent protests and Marching for peace it was

Civil rights leaders and ministers and activists fearly fearlessly marching together and then every so often I’d see a couple of rabbis marching too and honestly they were pretty hard to miss it would be like Dr King marching and then there’d be this Rabbi carrying this big Torah marching

Alongside him and as a Jewish kid growing up I remember feeling the sense of Pride seeing rabbis standing in solidarity with Dr King and others who were fighting for civil rights and we were in a religious family growing up we we did Christmas and Hanukkah or as my sister and I called it

Presents um later my dad would go on to invent Festivus and sefall but uh but this sense of doing the right thing and supporting those of another Faith bonded in mutual respect struck a court that went beyond Hot Wheels and video games and I remember that idea sort of

Blowing my mind the idea that we could have different belief systems and still find Common Ground I learned recently that the person who spoke right before Dr King at the March on Washington in 1963 the man whose speech led directly into Dr King Dr Kings was a rabbi from

Newers Jersey named waim Prince he and Dr King met in 1958 Rabbi Prince had been expelled from Nazi Germany as Hitler was rising to power there and he fled to America and he immediately became a fierce supporter and Ally of the Civil Rights struggle underway here

Dr King once told a group of Jewish leaders my people were brought to America in Chains your people were driven here to escape the chains fashioned for them in Europe our Unity is born of our common struggles for centuries Unity born of our common struggle um I mentioned that uh Rabbi

The rabbi gave the speech right before Dr King came to the podium at the Lincoln Memorial that day that’s sort of like being the opening act for The Beatles at sha Stadium uh but I looked it up and he did say something that really resonated with

Me he said America has become a nation of Silent onlookers silent silent in the fa in the face of hate in the face of brutality America must not remain silent not merely Black America but all of America it must speak up and act Rabbi Prince was echoing the message

Of Dr King who said that a man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right when he refuses to stand up for justice it was Dr King and Rabbi Prince joined in unity allies for each other’s communities Baptist Minister and a Jewish rabbi fighting in solidarity with

One another now for me as a wannabe Baptist Minister I will admit I want to be Senator Pastor Rafael waro when I grow up please on this day standing here in this esteemed Pulpit with everything going on in the world at this moment it seems to

Me like that’s a a pretty good example for us to try to follow to be allies for each other to call out hate of all kinds and to call out those who pedal in that hate as well those who demonize people based on their political cultural or ethnic

Identity it feels like something has been Unleashed in this country over the last few years the racism and anti-Semitism and hatred that’s always been with us but that’s been given license to come out from the Shadows again and it’s it’s this Rising tide of intolerance and Prejudice that just

Seems to be everywhere now this bigotry that’s rooted in ignorance and fear and it feels to me like we’re living in a moment where we need the inspiration and moral Clarity of Dr Martin Luther King more than ever his message to not be silent to stand up for that which is

Right Dr King at one point traveled up to New Jersey to speak at Rabbi Prince synagogue and he told told the congregation there we are dependent on each other whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly the example set by Reverend King and his opening act Rabbi Prince all those years ago it’s worth

Remembering I think especially in times like these in order for all of us to overcome it requires all of us being there for each other standing up for each other not being silent finding Unity as Dr King said in our common struggle so thank you to the Kings

Center for inviting me it’s truly an honor an honor of my life to be here with you and to be able to share this beautiful exchange of ideas and love and community and if there is a Baptist Minister named Ben Stiller out there somewhere that this was actually this

Invitation was meant for I owe you one so and Alex thank you for my shoelaces [Applause] good afternoon I uh I I cannot tell you how uh how happy I am to be here with all of you it was um the honor of a lifetime when I got a

Phone call from Reverend Bernice King inviting me to be here with you this morning and as you may have seen I’ve been so moved up here by the spirit and the love and the legacy of Dr King that I actually hugged Senator warno so [Applause] so hugging Senator waro and uh following

Ben Stiller uh is not something I would have imagined that I would uh be here doing but I I am so honored to be here uh at at what I think is perhaps the most significant Church in our nation the battle that Dr King LED for civil

Rights the battle that changed our world was deeply grounded in his Christian faith and in his Devotion to this great country when he wrote from the Birmingham Jail in 1963 he said quote the sacred Heritage of our nation and the will of almighty God are embodied in our

Demands he knew the American American dream was a dream unfulfilled but I’ve been studying Dr King because I knew Reverend King was going to be watching and when you read Dr King’s descriptions of our founding documents you feel yourself in the presence of one who knew our founding

Documents are a shield they are a sword and they are a compact and they embody a promise for every one of us here’s what he said about our Declaration of Independence he said the substance of our dream is expressed in these Sublime words words that are lifted to Cosmic proportions we hold

These truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights and among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness and when Dr King spoke of the courageous students who were sitting in at lunch counters across the South he

Said I knew as they were sitting in they were really standing up for the best in the American dream and they were taking the whole nation back to those great Wells of democracy which were dug Deep by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence and in our

Constitution Dr King fought racism and bigotry and hate with a reverence for Freedom with an unshakable courage of faith in God and a determination to live in the truth his life and his work serve truly as a call to conscience for us all and never have we needed that example

More never have we faced a greater need to heed his call than the one we face today my friends as we meet this afternoon a great lie is doing its work poisoning the bloodstream of our democracy a former president refuses to acknowledge that he lost and he has convinced millions that our elections

And our democracy no longer work he threatens the foundations of our nation and everything Dr King persevered to save if given the chance this former president’s allies in Congress Congress will once again ignore the rulings of our nation’s courts the outcome of our elections and the words of our constitution as

They as they claim for themselves the right to throw out the votes of millions of Americans and install their former leader as our President we must not let them prevail and my friends Faith communities have a particular obligation this election year there are churches across our nation where ministers preach

From the pulpits and Adoration of this former president there are pastors who seem to have forgotten the first Commandments and they and they are openly embracing an immoral unstable and depraved man who threatens violence and death who attacks the rule of law and who says he can terminate our

Constitution all people all people of goodwi in this nation regardless of race religion political affiliation regardless of anything else that might divide us must stand together against this we must draw back from the abyss we must see each other a new not as partisans but as God’s

Children we must work my friends as though everything depended on us because it does and we must pray as though everything depended upon God because it [Applause] does as Dr King taught us the danger is not only the vitriolic words and the violent actions of bad people but also

The appalling silence and the indifference of good people we all must act and we all must serve the only requirement for service according to Dr King is a Heart full of grace and a soul generated by love as we honor the greatness of Dr King let us also honor and remember the

Goodness of our nation the kindness of our neighbors the better angels of our nature and the God who gave us life gave us Liberty at the same time and let us resolve that we will rise above what divides us to love our country more let us resolve to live in truth fortified by

The memory and the lessons of the life of Dr Martin Luther King my friends on March 25th 19 1965 standing in front of the Alabama state capital in Montgomery at the end of the march from the Edmund Pettis bridge in Selma Dr King reminded us all No Lie can live [Applause]

Forever I know you’re asking Dr King said how long will it take I come to say to you this afternoon afternoon however difficult the moment however frustrating the hour it will not be [Applause] long because truth crushed to Earth will rise again together remembering the lessons and the courage and the love of

Dr King we will make sure it does thank you God bless you all God Bless America thank you [Applause] how yall doing My name Is I’m honored to be here not just because of Pastor Senator War I’m honored to be Know but I’m honored to be here because this is just about the only major city in the country with temperatures above freezing thank you for resuing me I just want to encourage you that may your strugles keep you near The Cross and may your TR show that you God and may your Battles in the way and may your bad prove that God is good and may your whole life prove that God is good yes may your struggles keep you near The Cross and may your TR show that you need God and may your battles in the way may

Your that God is s that with me may your prove that God is good yeah see may your strugles keep you near The Cross and may your TR show that you really need God and may your battles in the the way they should and make your

Bage prove that go God is good yes make your whole life Pro God he really yes [Applause] soul needed that I mean we’re talking about the action and the doing but Dr King and ketta Scott King had an inner life anyone else’s soul needed that encouragement may your bad days anybody have a bad day I I know it’s a new year

But have you had a bad day May it prove that our God is good not just for Dr King but for you for me when we pull ourselves into this work of Justice our souls must be cared for Dr King was active but he was also contemplative that’s that’s why Howard

Thurman poured into his spirit and his soul ketta Scott King put a call out for women but I believe it’s a call for us all she said if the soul of this nation is to be saved me way we may very well have to become it

So so our soul life is what we bring to underg guard this hard work of Justice fighting woo may your bad days prove that God is good God is good that’s the only way we move mountains I I know I have to move on the

The time is drawing nigh but that is the only way we move mountains it is not by strategy alone but by the very power not by power nor by might but by the very Spirit of our God when Dr King became president of the Montgomery Improvement Association his first speech as

Leader was recorded not by TV stations but because of the Brilliance of his partner in life ketta Scott King merely two and a half weeks after she birthed her first child she had the wherewithal to begin recording his speeches I don’t know about y’all but I

Know what it felt like two and a half weeks after my first child was born and I wouldn’t think about recording nobody I just had to say when we think of her as a woman we must think of all that she brought to this work with King

She was one of the most influential women leaders in our world she was prepared by her family her education her personality for a life committed to social justice and peace she entered the world stage in 1955 as the wife of Dr King and has been since then a leading

Participant and now Legacy voice in this fight for Freedom it is a time in our program where we have the wonderful honor to lift up her name her work and her Legacy through the voice of a young woman jezelle Walker she is a sixth grader at the ketta Scott King young women’s Leadership

Academy and joins us today to pay tribute to this wonderful woman welcome good afternoon and Grand rising to all distinguished Pulpit guests everyone here at the esteemed Ebenezer Baptist Church and those joining us through local and international media Outlets I am Jazelle Walker a paral sixth grade student from Cor Scott King

Young women’s Leadership Academy where every girl has a dream with her name on it for the next few moments I invite you to take a trip with me a trip thou lead us towards Shifting the cultural climate through the study and practice of Kenya and nonviolence are you ready then let’s go my

Friends first first we must understand our current culture and its challenges there is war in the land our political systems are in turmoil social media influencers have more influence over the youth than parents our culture celebrates celebrity drama and turns away from peace and Truth our youth are under attack as

Suicide rates continue to increase the depression and despair On The Rise and violence continues to climb oh my friends we need a shift I can hear the words of Mrs ketta Scott King reminding us the greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members

It is time for us to shift the culture it’s time for compassion and love to order and guide our way the first stop on our trip outlines the process to create and maintain the shift personal commitment my beloved community members will you commit with me to model reconciliation in the midst of conflict

Our young people my generation are desperately looking to see examples of using words instead of weapons to heal in a world of loud voices and bad choices will you stand up and model the way Mrs Keta Scott King was a strong Advocate and tyy carried the message of

Nonviolence to almost every corner of this nation and Globe she indeed was a voice for Change and did the groundwork of organizing and leading efforts to be the change she wanted to see our next stop on this trip calls for us to use our powerful minds instead of our destructive

Fists understanding and articulating our issues and problems helps us to explore and communicate Solutions my beloved Community don’t get quiet on me cuz this trip is going to lead us to a beautiful place our next stop leads us to education and advocacy yes education is the very thing Freedom Writers and civil rights

Pioneers fought for While others pay the ultimate price our right to an equal and quality education gives us the key to unlocking our powerful and Progressive Futures Mrs ketta Scott King believed in education as she was the valid dictorian of our high school class and was a champion for Change and many other

Areas our beloved mother ketta traveled throughout the United States and World speaking out on behalf of racial and economic Justice educational opportun unties Women’s and Children’s rights gay and lesbian dignity religious freedom gun control the needs of the poor and the homeless and environmental issues her well- lived life still

Provides the blueprints for all people like me to follow she committed to Shifting the culture in our community communities way before it was popular or a trending topic my beloved Community we are almost at our destination the final two stops take us to direct action and Reconciliation here’s what my generation

Really needs you what direct actions will you take to guide a way we young person you possess the knowled and Wis we lack we need your compassion we need your greatness we need you to act the Bible tells us that with a lack of knowledge the people will perish my

Peers are perishing daily you can start in your neighborhood in a school in your church it doesn’t matter where you start but start will you take a stance and a direct action to save us God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power love and selfcontrol

And finally the last of the kingy nonviolence principles brings us face to face with reconciliation bringing together ceasefire settlements and reunion these words so eloquently describ where we strive to be in closing I have one question to ask can I count on you Let Me Clear My Throat and ask this

Again can I count on you what will your legacy be Mrs katus Scott King’s Legacy stretches well beyond being the wife of the dreamer she carried the message of nonviolence and the vision of the Beloved Community to the world her phenomenal Life as a woman of wisdom Faith determination

Compassion hope and healing LED all the way to the White House to make Dr King’s birthday a national holiday her vision for the Beloved Community and her commitment to nonviolence plac her at the Forefront of leadership for peace love and social change are you ready to leave this type of

Legacy there is work to be done we are no longer in the practice of getting ready we are ready to ship the cultural climate and be a change it starts with me and it starts with you together we can thank you [Applause] wow if you ever have any doubt about our

Future just remember Jazelle remember my niece yalanda Renee King and so many other Young Voices young people we thank God for the work of the kkot king young women’s Leadership Academy who’s raising up a generation of women [Applause] leaders you know um when I was praying About who should be our speaker on today Natasha I thought about my mother’s quote woman at the soul of the nation is to be saved I believe you must become its soul but I also thought about the times that we’re living in and for many people it’s very

Dark dim many people are losing hope and I remembered that the first voice that broke the good good news that he is risen was a woman and I said you know one of the tragedies sometimes is that there’s still people who believe I suffer not a woman to

Teach nor to usurp authority over a man out of the scriptures First Timothy wouldn’t it be tragic if women just remained silent when many are called and few are chosen God has chosen so many women and we thank God that there are [Applause] voices many voices of women what would

Happen if we couldn’t hear the voice Reverend Natasha re rice what if we couldn’t hear the voice of Reverend Dr Bernice a king what if we could not hear the voice of our speaker and so in this hour I’m honored to introduce to all of us many

Of you here have programs but those that are watching not only here in the city of Atlanta but across nine other cities in our nation including New York Washington DC Chicago Houston San Francisco Reverend sioban Arline Bradley is a woman of God a preacher who serves as an associate men

Of minister of the Alfred Street Baptist Church she’s a wife and a mother she’s uh been educated at some of the finest HBCU shout out to the number one HBCU Spellman College I have to remind you she’s a professional woman as well she serves as the founding president principal of reach

Beyond Solutions and LLC strategy and Innovation consulting firm designed to expand the leadership and strategy capacity of government corporation foundation and nonprofit part Partners based in Maryland Washington C Washington DC Metro Area she served um in the office of the 19th United States Surgeon General as the exe as the Director of

The external engagement and and Senior advisor prior to that time she serves as the Executive Vice President of strategic planning and Partnerships and senior director of health programs for the national NAACP she served there six years she’s credentialed comes well equipped but one of the most position

One of the most honorable positions that she holds that I believe is as the first president and CEO of the largest black woman women civil rights organization in our nation founded by Mary mlau bethon the National Council of negro [Applause] women and she comes today in the capacity

Though as a woman of God as a child of God to hear what saith the Lord we will hear from Reverend sioban Arline Bradley before she comes we be slain in the spirit once again by Callie Tay a vocalist with for Every Mountain you brought me over Hallelujah I got so much

To than God so many wonderful blessings and so many Open [Applause] for this I You me up on [Applause] my of a new day [Applause] I pr you be my Time You Over forever every Tri you see all every Hallelujah huah for this for this I for [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] every hallah Hallelu [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Oh hallelujah [Applause] [Applause] hallelujah [Applause] Hallelu [Applause] Me GL [Applause] [Applause] stay right there come on and bless the name of Jesus Jus the world is getting a little Peak at how we bless the Lord when I think about the goodness of Jesus and all he’s done for me I think about the goodness of Jesus and all he’s done

For me for every Mountain he’s brought me over for every trial he has seen you and I through my soul Cries Out hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah I’m a Baptist preacher when I think about the goodness of Jesus come on for Every Mountain for Every [Applause] Mountain Hallelujah come on and bless the name of

Jesus Hallelujah I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so when I think about the goodness of Jesus and all he has done for me this stage is a stage where we honor Dr King but we give God glory for who he is and how he woke you

Up this morning and how he has started you on our way [Applause] Hallelujah if I was home I’d do something different right there they see all the glory but they don’t know the story of what God has done for me sitting in a seat where a Mary McLoud Bon and a Dorothy Height could be a little girl from Camden New Jersey can

Stand here before you just say if it had not been for the Lord on my side where would we be we bless the Lord today for Dr Bernie’s King thank you thank you I’ve admired her for years and my favorite photo of you is with you and your mother at your father’s

Homegoing because I’m a daddy’s girl and every time I see her I think about the weight that you carry and daily send you prayers but also lifting you up as you have a mantle that has been called the daughter of a king but because you’re a daughter of

The king you never see to it that others don’t get a chance to stand with you and that is a rarity in many spaces where sisters don’t know how to get along but that’s not the story of Bernice King and she’s a good AKA on her Founders Day giving this Delta a chance

I think she invited me on purpose on their founders day cuz it’s Delta I got on red bottoms just in case they didn’t know I was red they [Applause] didn’t happy Founders Day to my sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha we love you for the zers in the house your founders day is

Tomorrow God bless you and my first love is Delta Sigma Theta I love you all for those that are here God bless you I I want Dr a Lois Keith to please stand she is the elected chair of the board of the National Council of negro women and she is the finest Georgia

Peach I’d ever seen by way of Alabama and our proud AKA she lets me know all the time all the time amen y’all pray for us too we have a lot of fun with that I’d ask my family to please stand as well I’m from from New Jersey my family has

Come in from New Jersey my husband and my son are here my parents my brother my aunts my sister-in-law everyone that’s come in and just in case you don’t like my speech I brought them so they can say amen amen and I just in a moment want to just

Say there’s a past president chair who’s in the house ingret Saunders Jones would you please stand I love you and I’m so honored to have you here as one of our previous chairs and I just want to say the name Diane lar today we lost someone very special in

Ncnw and to many of you all that know her in Atlanta Diane went home to be with the Lord and I can tell you she’s rejoicing the last time we spent time with her she just cried because we came and it taught me a lesson don’t ever delay the moment you just don’t

Know I didn’t know it was going to be the last time I hugged her but we thank God for her life and when the beautiful ladies that are in purple my sisters of the National Council of negro women and all members of ncnw Ross this place please stand

Look at them they ready late they are ready come on ncnw they going to say Amen too all right and I want to do this very especially um Beverly Smith is here who was the past president of Delta uh and she changed her trip her and her husband

To be with me so I want to thank you both uh Smith family love you so much and thank you for all you do now uh there is a clock and front of me and I will use it because I’m your keynote speaker today but if I was

Preaching I would bring to you A Familiar text Psalm 23 my pastor Reverend Dr Howard John Wesley who stood here a few years back one of the things that he has taught us is land in the text so the text can help you help the people and I’ll read Psalm 23 Verses 4

Through six y though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they come from me and thou preparest a table before me in the presence of thine enemy my enemies thou anointest my head with

Oil my cup runneth over surely surely goodness and mercy will follow you and I all the Days of Our Lives we going to dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever say theise I see you and I love you to pieces I’m the keynote speaker but if I was preaching

Sharp the title of this sermon would be you are an enemy territory you are an enemy territory I attended a sorority meeting a few months back and in that meeting we were in the great state of Indiana and we had on all red and we had these elephants around

Our neck and next to our room was a conservative conference same hotel next to our room it was a groom groom full of black women and red dresses with elephants all you politicals got exactly where I was going with that for the rest of you you

Should sign up to see what’s going on in partisan politics today and immediately when the sisters told me that they were right next door you know how you do you your heart rate gets a little high and you unfortunately get into defense mode because you know

How it is when someone or some group of people operate counter to what you think your culture is the sight of magah hats and trumped up rhetoric got me fired up you see when an indicted man can walk free at the top of his this ticket you get concerned about the

Interaction we see so-called leaders do everything in their power to hide the truth about black people’s history and use black pwns for their propaganda spewing lies and lies and more lies and somehow think that being a slave was good for us uh or somehow that the Civil War had nothing to do with

Slavery I’m an enemy territory when you hear those who call themselves patriotic Senator warno and would have the audacity to try to redefine the words of a king and bastardize the intention of his dream alluding to the fact that not judging the color of their skin but the

Cont of their character is cold word for Dei must die I’m an enemy territory when all all of your efforts are put into passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act that we still don’t have and standing against voter suppression and then we watch those who say they love the

Lord pass laws that would erect illegal barriers for the most constitutional right that we have As Americans I’m an enemy territory when you are fighting as a woman for your own individual freedom to have agency over your own body and the opposition uses the one issue to Hoodwink and bamboozle an entire

Electorate to vote against their own interests I’m an enemy territory when you’re fighting for equal pay for women because white women make only 82 cents on a dollar of their white male counterparts and black women make a mere 65 cents on the dollar of their white M counterparts I’m in enemy

Territory when the Jesus you believe in is the one who was sent to save us and unite Us in love and Community where we are commanded by the word of God to care for the sick and provide for the poor and care for the widows but the Jesus that they

See gives them anable rights to dictate your destiny making healthc care a privilege and not a right promoting cuts to our most vulnerable women and children and then on January the 6 somehow be brainwashed that committing an act of sedition and Insurrection were Guided by the hand of God we’re in enemy

Territory Church it’s exhausted exting enemies can be exhausting enemies of freedom and Justice and I would argue enemies of the King’s dream the very thought of enemies can make you decide that your soul is too drained for this but I realize that this message is not even about partisan

Politics it’s not about ideologies no I’m learning that enemy territory is around you and I every single day see when you’re in the will of God called to be a change agent called to fight for your people called to be a leader in this moment in time you will face

Opposition and I know a man who saw his enemies right before him those who smiled in his face and conspired against him Dr King had enemies everybody wasn’t with Dr King everybody didn’t support him and as we celebrate this 95th year to the day of the birth of Dr King let

Me be clear Dr King was so helpful in guiding us that Fighting For Freedom will put you face to face with enemies but here’s the harder part there’ll be some enemies you expect and then there’ll be some enemies that you don’t expect yeah opposition from your own

People from your own church from your own organizations from your own leaders from your own family the people that you believe are going to be there for you whether they know it or not sometimes find themselves as actors in The enemy’s Playbook to distract you from the assignment that

God gave to you they can’t see past what they know about you but I’m here to tell them that the text is going to help all of our enemies today it’s a simple scripture that is is powerful enough to carry you in I Ebenezer yeah though you

Walk through the valley of the shadow of death you should fear absolutely no evil because our God is with us and he’s going to prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies Now understand this enemy Terr territory doesn’t feel good but it is good enemy territory is

Necessary because it’s a place where change occurs it’s a place where things happen for you and as we honor a husband father preacher and Justice Seeker who faced opposition with dignity let me say for the people in the back in 2024 we still drowning with the same

Enemies and if you’re not careful you might get weary and well-doing and so if Dr King was here I wonder if he would offer this question to us today what must we do in this season to survive enemy territory I’m a good Baptist I’m going to give you three leave you being catch

My flight what must we do to survive enemy territory well to survive enemy territory we must first acknowledge that we come from good pedigree now pedigree is so clear to me because pedigree says that we have a distinguished background and a distinguished history that’s aligned with conferring distinction and quality

King family you are distinct you have quality lineage King Family eia you come from good stock you got a good pastor who’s had good predecessors but before there was a king Center there were slaves who were captured and sent on this transatlantic slave trade but yet

We survived eia before there was a ebena Baptist Church there were women who Bor children in the fields on one day and we’re picking cotton the next day and still we survived uh before there was a king Center there were families who were emancipated with no

Plan and some of them didn’t know they were free until two years later and yet still we survived black bodies known as Strange Fruit hanging from trees integrated lunch counters martyred for the right to vote and somehow by God’s grace we still survived Journey from the out house to the White

House watching a young senator from Illinois become the president two times so many naysayers watching a black woman unite the electorate across the country who pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha happy Founders Day who was an HBCU graduate the first black and South Asian woman to ever sit in the office of Vice President you

Surviving and just over a year and a half ago another black woman who sat in the Senate chambers more qualified than anybody in the room sat in the hot seat to be berated by all accounts based on the comparison of her qualifications by mediocre Folks at best she would ultimately become the

First black woman Supreme Court Justice of the United States of America and she’s a Delta too all right I got it in there I got it in there now there’s a familiar phrase that we love to say our we are our ancestors wildest dreams but I offer you today that the

The dream is still unfolding and because I’m a futurist I get excited about what’s to come but with every great vision you’ve got to know your history and I mean real history history that tells you that there was slavery that there were people massacred that there was a social construct called race

That we use to put value or lack of value on black skin or on gender H it’s a construct then we would develop a generation of Freedom Fighters I would pray who would have that same tenacity and fire that some call woke but I call

Wise this is why we need black art black film black teachers this is why we need allies of the entire human race to commit themselves to never let our children go without knowing their history if the ancestors could talk to us I wonder what they would say about what they

See ah I like to believe if they heard us lamenting about 45 I think the ancestors would see it a little differently they’d say baby don’t worry we’ve had 245 years of this presidents who own slaves president who had children with slaves presidents who were racist presidents who said they

Were friends of the people until their policies came out if we lamented to the ancestors about some of the actions of Governors across the state what would they say and I can hear them say baby fret not because see we had Governor stand in the doorway of our University

And we integrated schools anyway and still We rise but we lost Tyree we lost Brianna Amad George Eric and Sandra Bland and I could hear the ancestors say don’t worry baby before you lost them we lost emit we lost four little girls we lost Mega we lost Malcolm and Martin

Countless names that lost their lives in the struggle but yet we still R affirmative action student loan debt the ancestors I can hear them saying don’t you worry because we pushed through Brown versus Board of Education and we have three judges of African descent who served in the highest stand

In the court now two who do justice work for our people but there are three of African descent in the Supreme Court and still We rise my sisters and brothers pedigree gives us purpose and the tools we need listen not only must we acknowledge our pedigree but listen in order for us to

Survive enemy territory we got to a so assign ourselves to the right position I I’m a I’m a massive sports fan now listen tonight y’all pray for my eagles watch it what I love about football and every team sports is that everybody has a position

On the field the the best teams put the best people on the roster to play the game and in 2024 I’m realizing this since we’re trying to survive enemy territory we can’t be fooled to think that one man one woman one organization can do this work

Alone it’s a mistake to think you can navigate Justice work by yourself let me help you I’ve never seen a quarterback throw to himself I I’ve never seen a ball player a LeBron a Kobe I’m showing my age a Jordan a kareim not pass the ball one

Time Dr King was not the only one but he was a gifted one there were those who around him who who saw him as a leader but also had their role in civil rights history and if you follow history you see that the faces of Freedom around the king

Represented the best of our country Ebenezer King Center Atlanta and the world this year a your Reckoning democracy is at stake and I believe that somebody needs to hear me this morning uh you are in the right place you are in the right position at the right time for

The right moment and in this work I’ve become wise beyond my years to know that whatever God assigned you to do just do it what whatever God called you to do just do it whatever position you’ve been taxed to play just do it the problem with Justice work is people get mad when

They see someone in position that they think they should not be in not realizing that it was not your season for that seat and see the problem is we don’t do the good of the whole somebody got to write a check somebody’s got to mobilize the classes

Somebody has to be an ally somebody has to order the t-shirts somebody has to find the venue for the strategy meeting somebody’s got to run for office somebody’s got to craft the legislation somebody’s got a fund raise for the candidates somebody has to have bail money to bail you when I out somebody’s

Got to get their ego checked at the door somebody’s got to be marching in the streets but somebody’s got to be on the inside on the sea sweets too we can’t have any more chaos we need coordinated strategy can’t have egos in the way we got elections to

Win rest assured the enemy prospers in chaos hear me the the enemy prospers when we are fighting and we fighting about the wrong stuff who’s on the program first where am I sitting oh you didn’t acknowledge my whole committee and that my friends is the trick of the

Enemy why because while we’re fighting they’re gentrifying while we fighting they are suppressing votes while we’re fighting they shutting down diversity equity and inclusion wake up America America it’s 2024 you’ve got to make a choice you might be saying shoban which America are you talking about I’m so glad you asked

Me it’s not just black and white it’s Asian and Pacific Islanders it’s Hispanic and Latin next it’s indigenous it’s Jewish it’s Muslim it’s religious persons from all over the world it’s persons living with a disability it’s lgbtq plus and same G of people and straight it’s everybody from every

Political persuasion because we got to decide tonight will the Dream Live or is it going to die movement moved with the diverse group of people from various backgrounds so civil rights organization stop playing and just get in position Divine n organization stop playing who cares about the color get in

Position government business Faith Educators get in position not only must we acknowledge our pedigree and assign ourselves to the right position but let me close here in order for Advocates to survive enemy territory we’ve also got to activate divine power across all generations as I’ve been told I have the

Privilege of being one of the youngest people to ever stand behind the sacred desk and as I meditated on how to close this I I was reminded that we as a people find ourselves in an intergenerational crossw world I know because I’m stuck right in the middle of some of those same

Generational squabbles civil rights and social justice squabbles in the workplace but if I to be honest squabbles in the church so rights is clear we’re not on the same page about the Middle East we’re not on the same page about student loan debt and many younger brothers and

Sisters believe that their vote doesn’t even count or they choose that a no vote makes a statement for them the same rhetoric is found in the church as someone who was the last generation to have to go to church when the lights were on didn’t matter it didn’t matter

What we were doing if the lights were on we were in church they don’t do that anymore but what is evident now the church is under scrutiny by young people we are on trial and if I could hear from the Millennials and gen Z they’ve been asking the question sioban why is the

Church so judgmental why do we perpetuate internal class systems why why are we silent on social justice why are we accepting requests from elected officials every four years instead of calling them out every four weeks there’s a tension that representa t his oldest time it was in May of 1967

That the King was asked by a reporter what do young Negroes want and it was as if his King was prophetic in 2024 he said they are saying young Negroes there must be a restructuring of the architecture of our society where American values are concerned he said there are three evils

In the nation racism economic exploitation of poverty and militarism it’s 2024 and I think King is here affirming that we’re living in a time where some of us have not done our due diligence to tell the young people on what really grounded this movement that that we are still standing on the same

Promises you see divine power is rooted in the understanding that nothing happens by happen stance there’s something bigger than you and I in this country the challenge that we’re confronted with is how do we ensure the Next Generation understands that they possess the same power today that our ancestors possessed of old and

Collectively we will see a change coming and this is how I know uh I’m the mother of a cool little boy he clean today too he’s clean today and part of his training that my husband and I give to him son you are God first family school then

Basketball God first family school then basketball well you know he one of them Co kids and it’s hard time teaching him in kindergarten at home trying to follow God family school and basketball well he got to the third grade and here’s one of the things that happened that blew me away we were

Teaching him to ensure that he set his grace before he eats and the call to him was son make sure wherever you go don’t be ashamed thank the Lord for your food well it happened saw my man come home and jump right into the greens didn’t thank nobody for

Nothing and I said did he not say his grace I said I’mma give him a chance so next day he came on he saw that chicken and went right in and thank nobody for nothing and so I finally got mad I said Son why AR aren’t you saing your grace

Before you eat and my man froze because he knew I caught him cuz he wasn’t thanking the lord for his food and he said something so profound I was lowkey offended that boy said hey Mommy I don’t want to pray like you pray I said boy you a preachers kid shut

Up this is what he said to me said Mommy I I I want to pray but I don’t want to pray the way you pray now I could have in that moment lost the opportunity to teach a lesson I could have been stuck on the process and missed the importance of the

Prayer but in that moment God said don’t you you get on him give him a tool so what I decided to do in that moment after I was mad and try to use [Applause] nonviolence try to do it the king way it dawned to me I had to teach him

How to pray to himself so I could accomplish the whole goal which was make sure he thanks God for his food and make sure I honor the need that he had not to be just like his mama you you think I’m still talking about the grace cuz my son taught me a valuable

Lesson it wasn’t that he didn’t want to pray wasn’t that he didn’t understand what prayer meant it meant he had a different method that he wanted to use and this is what I realize in the divine power of all generations aligning together different prayer same power different prayer same

Power and I don’t know who I’m preaching to but the same power that kept us all the way through slavery the same power that kept us through Jim Crow and lynching the same power who got Barack Obama back in the White House two times the same power that has kept us in the

Midst of all the hell we see it’s the same power that’ll never lose its power and that’s why I like starting to speak to enemies right in their face I see you enemy no weapon formed against us can prosper we will be free in this country

We will have our Voting Rights Act we will be able to see Freedom Ring enemy you might try to block our progress but you can’t just succeed because the vision is not of God no no no no no you see the problem is we think

That the enemy has no power to block our progress because we have given the enemy too much power but if you learn from a child and sometimes the young people are trying to teach us something they may not do it the way we do it but I promise you they

Going to do it they may not operate the way we want them to but there is an opportunity right here for us to speak to the enemy Through The Eyes of every young person in this room so as I close let me say this to you enemy territory

Is exactly where we need to be because I found that when the black community has aligned in enemy territory things have changed for us we were able to see an emancipation we were able to see voting rights we were able to see civil rights we were able to see women have the right

To vote we were able to see Title Nine and I just suspect that in 202 for as enemy territory tries to take its place I stand on the Promises of God that whatever comes our way we will stand flat-footed and say not on our watch that we will stand in front of the

Enemy and say surely goodness and mercy is going to follow me all the days of my life and you and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever you are in enemy [Applause] territory come on come on come on come on who is grateful for the power in Jesus y’all

Better keep it going come on thank you so much for that there is power in the name of Jesus somebody better shout wony do it say wony do it if you’re believing in God for some things I need y’all to help me celebrate ain’t nobody stopping

My shine they try to break me try to take me out but I got Jesus on my side so bad I thought I die but ain’t no power stronger than the one that came and laid down his life and I got M to climb but the enemy can’t stop me

There’s a calling on my life so when I’m crying all right’s go say do it would you fight your B you high say do it Li don’t take me there again I just call Jesus me One saakes you’re always bre do it yes he will anybody tell you you look back and amaz It for my downfall turn to be the greatest victory of my life so when it comes at your best and there’s only one that can come and make it so no and crying cuz he going show up just like he did the last time and the last time and the Last you know that’s Li you back and amaz turned out say do it he said he so I All say do he will do it he said he said he said won’t he do it I know he will so I trust him at all time come on prophetically and just won’t he do [Applause] it we almost made it I do want to make sure we acknowledge sister Naomi King

The wife of AD King say sister-in-law of Dr Martin Luther King she’s with us almost every commemorative service is not with us today but we want to make sure to call out to her as she’s listening into the service woo what a commemoration we have had as the preacher keyot

Speaker mentioned the word ancestors we now have the opportunity to be good ancestors what does it mean to be be a good ancestor it means to be involved to jump in to shift the narrative and as a lawyer Pastor Dei practitioner shifting that narrative costs something it costs not just personally

Emotionally spiritually but it actually cost money the King Center the work of the King Center the global span of this work costs so this is that wonderful opportunity we ain’t going to pass the plate but I am going to ask you to hold your phone in hand and this is not an

Ask just merely of money but it’s an invitation for you to join a movement an opportunity for you to be a good ancestor to be a part of change and transformation for the better and to be a part of continuing to write this Legacy story of Dr Martin Luther King so

I believe on the screens they’re going to put where you text to give MLK 995 recognizing the 95th birthday of Dr Martin Luther King The King Center is asking that you consider giving in those increments 95 cents if you can’t do better $950 $950

9500 and it goes on and on and on those in person are looking at me like I’m crazy so those of you on TV you can start at 9500 text to give MLK 95 to 44321 again y’all repeat it with me MLK 95 to 44 321 if you don’t want to text please

Visit the website the king center.org and give so that this Legacy of freedom of justice of light in darkness can continue Amen one more time can we celebrate the voice and the message of Dr Arline Bradley come on let’s thank God from the Lord at this time we will go higher in our worship experience with the bell ringing ceremony led by members of the Atlanta Consular Corps with rep with

People who will be representing nations from all around the world and we will conclude our worship experience with a benediction by Pastor Lisa frii of the Victory Church Hamilton meal and we will conclude with the climactic anthem of the movement we shall overcome amen amen Belgium rings the bell for peace Belgium

Light the Bell for f Aon Ireland rings the bell for peace the United Kingdom rings the bell for peace the Republic of Nigeria rings the bell for peace Greece rings the bell for peace Japan rings a bell for the peace ar ar Rings the bells for peace Canada rings the bell for peace

The Canada sonash India Rings the bill for peace 8 bring the bell for peace the Bahamas rings the bell for peace mexo Mexico rings the bell for peace colia to colia rings devel for peace the Republic of Barbados rings the bell for peace The Cooperative Republic of Guyana rings the bell for

Peace Jamaica rings the bell for peace Liberia and honestly all other Africans ring the bell for peace Republic of Korea ring spell for [Applause] [Applause] peace good afternoon y’all hungry yet come on now but I believe that we hit the mark today and you will agree with

Me that we had Church did we not I’m going to close this out in prayer but I know that we have been praying all day and I know that God has been honored in this place what a beautiful afternoon and if you’re like me you feel the foundation of this

Moment supporting us and you feel the motivation behind us for us to continue forward Amen in Psalm 133 God says it is pleasing to him when his people live together in unity that’s what we’ve been talking about today so as we take all we have heard all we have

Been challenged with today join me in this prayer of dedication to him let’s bow our heads father God help us take up this challenge today because when we know know better we must do better it has been said that if you want to go fast go

Alone but if you want to go far go together so father would you help us to reconcile to dwell in unity and determination to carry the call but Above All Else help us to walk in love for it is the greatest weapon that we have now be with

Us as we go our separate ways and Crown our efforts of reconciliation with your sweet success in Christ’s name we pray and the church said amen amen My heart I [Applause] [Applause] we [Applause] [Applause] We all the [Applause] our heart [Applause] High we over we shall [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Over [Applause] We [Applause] [Applause] Oh [Applause] [Applause] We [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Up [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] we [Applause] [Applause] J [Applause] [Applause] UNC Fortunately my parents my mother and father my uncle my grandparents and my grandfather after my grandmother P were determined to continue to build an institution which would train people about the light work and the teachings of my uncle and that’s the King Center and I have said often that when my brother was

Living I served as his support in the background when he passed and was taken away from us I said I must do something now I must step out so whatever I do to the Martin Luther King Jr Center for nonviolent social change and for the community at large I am trying to

Perpetuate that great legacy that was left to us mother was the first one to meet un Coretta in building the center I mean she was a backbone to a Coretta two and a half months after Daddy was assassinated every day Faithfully after doing her responsibilities at Spellman

College as a professor she would leave Spellman College come to our home and she would go into that same office that my father had which was right across from my parents’ bedroom and she would do what she needed to do in terms of the books of the King Center initially Miss

First would didn’t have anything in front of her the bookkeeper have everything in front of her David start to talk she give the report she said hold up um that figure you just gave me is it was $10 off she had nothing in front of her I was like how on Earth do

You do that and when she go back the bookkeeper she’ll be exactly right I don’t believe my mother would have been able to do what she did with a sense of Grace dignity and strength and faith and everything that she had as bad as my

Mother was if it were not for my unle Christine I always just couldn’t imagine you know how she would keep it up because I would get tired just looking at Her With The ecumenical service we had an opportunity that she would preside over that for many many many years and was very involved with a lot of making the selections the invitations making sure that that program AB absolutely represented the spirit of what we wanted to do if you remember them they were

Always sitting together right there on stage sitting together and they’ be talking the whole time and and some people be like isn’t that rude I mean they’re up there but what they would do they’d be working she was the big sister that could do whatever needed to be done

And she never sought the Limelight if anything you know she wanted not to be outfront because as she would say to me sometimes she could get more stuff done Miss Ferris was critical in um the concepts for the center uh in building and in administrating for so many years

Mrs King and Mrs Ferris develop a workshop after the assassination of Dr King I was uh excited to come down to see how you could uh change people through nonviolence because I didn’t understand the word and didn’t didn’t know how it worked and even the things

That she and Mrs King had gone through uh were not angry with people and that’s for to talk how to direct that anger so it can be positive and constructive it saved my life and it saved me and made me whole his dream is alive today

Because it lives in each of us the question is what are we going to do about [Applause] it there is an African saying that as long as a person’s name is is called that person Never Dies and I believe that we will not cease to call the name of Christine King feris and

Therefore she lives

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