Thank you
And Good Morning.
Mrs King
Governor Perdue
Distinguished guests and
Ladies and gentlemen.
“ We have time
to ignore
the young,
the old
and the poor
But for War, there’s always MORE.
When will there be-
When will there be... A Time for Love?”
The great poet, philosopher
Stevie Wonder
in his latest CD
boldly and correctly
captures the essence of our times.
We are in difficult days.
War and turmoil in the Middle East,
Sudan, and
The rest of the world.
When there be …. A time for love?
Tsunamis and hurricanes taking thousands of lives
And leaving thousands
without homes, food, jobs and hope.
When will there be … A Time for Love?
Illiteracy, poverty, homelessness, class warfare
abound here in Atlanta
and around the globe.
Every 36 seconds a child is born into poverty in America?
Millions of Americans work everyday and still
earn too little to pay rent and to feed their families.
When will there be……. A Time for Love?
As we observe the 77th birthday of Martin King
IN THIS CITY
We have an obligation
to not just celebrate the life of King
but to live his legacy
365 days a year.
We have this obligation
Because Dr King was birthed here
Went to grade school and high school
And attended and graduated from Morehouse College
Where he was drilled in self respect
and community service
by the great Dr Benjamin E Mays.
We have this obligation
Because
We are the keeper of the King legacy-
a legacy of fighting
for social and economic justice,
a legacy of desegregating public facilities
a legacy of marching with the poor and the neglected
and
a legacy of demanding peace against the senselessness of war.
We have this obligation
Because we come from a city that has benefited from:
The searing and uncompromising commitment
of W E B Dubois,
The journalistic courage of Ralph Mc Gill
The ”in your face” activism of Dorothy Bolden
The adamant inclusion efforts of Maynard Jackson
And the international vision of Andrew Young.
Atlanta, we have
an awesome obligation
to live the dream.
It is our time
To step up to the plate
As we have done in the past,
to lead by example.
Dr King was a dreamer
but he was also a man of ACTION!
And we in Atlanta-
if we are to fulfill our historical legacy-
MUST be a City of ACTION!!!!
I am asking the people of Atlanta
to do 3 things this year.
First, make a personal commitment
to help somebody along your way……. Everyday.
Help the young, the old, the poor.
Commit to educate a child outside your family
through college,
Employ a homeless man or woman;
Sponsor a homeless family
Give a convicted felon who has served his time
Another chance.
We turn our faith in God into ACTION to help those in need.
Secondly,
demand the federal funding
needed by the victims of
Hurricane Katrina and other disasters be paid.
We cannot forget the children
who were taken off those roof tops
and separated from their mothers and fathers,
left alone at the Superdome and Convention Center
And we cannot forget
the thousands of families-
spread out across America-
Who still have no homes-
And whose hope is wearing thin.
Trailers and hotels rooms are not the answer.
We must stick with the victims
until they reclaim their lives and dignity.
Lastly and most importantly,
We must comprehend the full message of Dr King.
Yes- he helped to integrate lunch counters
Yes- he led a boycott in Montgomery
after the late great Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat
Yes- he fought for people who had been neglected and
disrespected for centuries
But just a importantly,
Martin King was a
Man of PEACE
A Soldier for Nonviolence
And A Prince of Love.
Atlantans- in times of turmoil-
We know what we must do-
Those who are hungry must eat,
Those who suffer must have medical care,
Those who need shelter must be housed.
Poverty and race
must not define a child’s potential,
An immigrant’s opportunity, or
a person’s right to Vote.
Not here in the birth home
and native state
of Dr King,
not in Atlanta, not in Georgia.
Nearly 50 years ago, in his book,
Stride Toward Freedom,
Dr King called for ACTION,
“Every step toward the goal of justice
requires sacrifice,
suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions
and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
Without persistent effort, TIME itself becomes an ally
of the insurgent and primitive forces
of irrational emotionalism and social destruction.
This is no TIME for apathy or complacency.
This is a TIME for vigorous and positive action.”
Martin King’s words ring true today.
Atlanta….
As we celebrate the 20th anniversary
of the national King holiday,
and the 77th birthday of Martin King.
Let us not confine our actions
to what is easy,
convenient
or acceptable to the powers that be.
For we are called by the King legacy
to bold,
courageous,
audacious,
persistent, tireless action
in the struggle for equality, justice and freedom.
ACTION not mere words will define our destiny.
Atlanta…..We are called to ACTION.