As we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is a wonderful birthday gift for him to celebrate the legacy of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church which he led for so many years. Added to that gift is to realize one of his congregation’s disciples is now the first African American U.S. senator from the state of Georgia.
How proud do you think he would be? Let us look at the past of this historic place of worship.
Ebenezer was founded in 1886, nine years after Reconstruction ended, according to the church’s website.
On March 14, 1894, the Rev. Adam Daniel Williams was called to serve as pastor at Ebenezer. Williams promoted Black businesses, urged his congregation to become homeowners, and “get a piece of the turf.” He led them in the battle for adequate public accommodations for Black people, despite Jim Crow segregation laws.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., known as “Daddy King,” served as assistant pastor to Williams from 1927 to 1930. King Sr. became pastor of Ebenezer in 1931, after the death of Williams.
In 1960 King’s his oldest son, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. joined his father as co-pastor, giving Ebenezer international stature. He remained in that position until he was assassinated in 1968.
Today, Ebenezer Baptist, with a congregation of more than 6,000, and continues to serve the Atlanta community in the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. The congregation’s leader is the Rev Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, is also U.S. senator-elect for the state of George. He has been senior pastor since 2005.
Warnock is the fifth minister to lead the Ebenezer congregation.
Are the elections of Warnock and of Kamala Harris as vice president of the United States to be seen as a representation of Black power?
Were the elections of Warnock and Kamala Harris also an objective and vision of Kwame Ture, the civil rights leader known to many Americans as Stokely Carmichael, who coined the term ”Black power?”?
Ture’s advocacy of Pan-Africanism was an important chapter in the evolution of the civil rights movement and should also be remembered on King’s birthday. What do you think?