“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Every year in mid-January, my daughters and I have an adventure. In the early years, it was picking up trash with other volunteers at a local park, but as they’ve grown, so have the tasks. Two years ago we planted trees at a local park. Last year, we helped clear and plow hard-packed soil to create a 100’ x 8’ community planting bed as a part of a church’s “Dream” garden. This year, in addition to donating to Dorcas ministries (link below), we are building hygiene kits for uninsured Wake County residents. It is climate-controlled and much cleaner than past projects, but still impactful. And whatever we do, it’s always rewarding.
The Words of Martin Luther King Jr. Reverberate in a Tumultuous Time
Dr. King’s speeches have particular resonance today amid a year of sickness and death, Black Lives Matter protests and the storming of the Capitol.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. waving to the crowd during the March on Washington in 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, where he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.Credit.Central Press/Getty Images
Published Jan. 18, 2021Updated Jan. 19, 2021
He lived and died in a time of tumult and a racial awakening, so perhaps it is no surprise that the 35th national celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday has particular resonance amid one of the most traumatic seasons in memory: A raging pandemic. Protest and civil unrest after the killing of Black people by the police. A momentous election. And an insurrection.
The high-stakes U.S. Senate race in Georgia catapulted the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church back into the spotlight. For 135 years, the church played a vital role in the fight against racism and the civil rights movement. It was the spiritual home of the civil rights leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
It is now the home of the state’s first Black senator – the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor at the church.
As a scholar of African American religion and Christian theology, I believe it is important to understand how the Ebenezer Baptist Church has been a seat of Black power and organizing for generations in Atlanta.
101st surprise birthday party held for longtime Montgomery resident By Ashley Bowerman | December 12, 2020 at 4:37 PM CST - Updated December 12 at 6:43 PM
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - A line of cars filled the parking lot of the Kershaw YMCA in Montgomery Saturday to take part in a drive through 101st surprise birthday for longtime Montgomery resident Frank J. Gregory Sr.
“I’ve never been this surprised in all my life, that’s a fact,” Gregory said. “Nobody’s ever done anything like this. I’ve had so many birthdays but nothing of this nature. I’m so blessed and thankful.”
Along with close family and friends, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, State Representative Kirk Hatcher and Montgomery County Commission Chairmen Elton Dean were also in attendance.