Crowded Brown Chapel listens to King, Holder, others
Published 6:42 pm Monday, March 9, 2015
Applause, cheers and amens could be heard Sunday ringing through historic Brown Chapel AME Church as thousands were in attendance to hear Martin Luther King III, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton and others.
Once the church met capacity, people began lining the streets near the church to be close and watch the service on jumbo screens outside.
Applause filled the sanctuary as Martin Luther King III took the stand.
“I was asked to do a tribute … but I’m not feeling like a tribute,” King said. “I find it challenging to celebrate. Yes, we celebrate so many who some gave their lives and others walked over the bridge … and were beaten badly, but when we think about what Martin Luther King Jr. would want us to do, I imagine he would tell us that our work is not done.”
King also spoke about what he called the “dismantling” of the Voting Rights Act. For King, and many others, Saturday and Sunday were days not to celebrate, but continue the fight for equal rights.
Like King, Holder mentioned that although everyone should honor those that sacrificed so much 50 years ago, people should look to the future and the work that still needs to be done.
“Half a century ago, it was said that nothing could stop the marching feet of a determined people; well today, 50 years after Bloody Sunday, we stand together once again as a people,” Holder said. “We are no less determined, and we will march on.”
Holder said people will march on until equality is made true for every American and everyone is afforded their right to vote.
“We will march on toward that bright horizon to the day when all Americans, young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, no matter who they are, no matter where they’re from, no matter what they look like, no matter who they love, has an equal share in the American Dream until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream, we will march on,” Holder said as the crowd applauded. “We will march because change is not inevitable, progress is not ordained.”
At the end of the service the Rev. Sharpton spoke and agreed with those before him that people need to look to the future and see what’s left to do, and make it happen.
“We’ve got to leave here today, not talking about what we did, but what we must do now,” Sharpton said. “We’re going to Washington … [to] force this Congress to deal with the Voting Rights Act.”
In King’s speech, he suggested three things that the people could do to better the opportunity for everyone to vote.
His first suggestion was to make registration available online. Then to consider changing Election Day from Tuesday to two or three days and at least one of those days being on a weekend. Lastly, King said the problem with the new voter ID law isn’t that people have to have an ID. It’s the form of ID and he suggested that photos be added to social security cards allowing everyone the opportunity to have an official photo ID.
In closing, King told the congregation that they would be OK, but there was still work to be done.
“We’re going to be alright, but we’re not there yet,” King said.