Celebrations took place across the country Monday in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin King Jr., who would have turned 93 on Jan. 15.
In Washington D.C., Dr. King’s family led a two-mile Martin Luther King Jr. Day peace walk in the morning. Mayor Muriel Bowser and civil rights activists joined the march, which went to the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.
Another notable celebration took place in Atlanta. This is an annual celebration that is held at Dr. King’s old congregation, Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Presiding over the service were Pastor Sam Collier and the Rev. Natosha Reid Rice. The Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, was the keynote speaker.
First Lady Jill Biden attended the ceremony, where the speakers included U.S. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens; Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge. The ceremony included musical performances by Keke Wyatt, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Pastor Mike Jr., Le’Andria Johnson and Emanne Beasha.
On Monday afternoon, a march took place in downtown Atlanta, in honor of Dr. King. The march ended on Auburn Avenue in front of the King Center, where a rally saluted the civil rights leader.
The King Center also worked with the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda and Youth Service America to hold a voter registration drive Monday in Atlanta.
The King family, meanwhile, called for the U.S. Senate to pass new voting rights legislation. Senators will start to debate the bill today.
“No matter what happens tomorrow, we must keep the pressure on and say no more empty words. Don’t tell us what you believe in, show us with your votes. History will be watching what happens tomorrow,” Martin Luther King III, son of Martin Luther King Jr., said in a speech Monday in Washington, D.C.
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