Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site will hold a brief bell ringing ceremony in observance of the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Justice.
A “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony will culminate with a bell-ringing event that will also occur at similar services around the nation. It will be held 50 years to the date of the march and King’s iconic “I Have A Dream Speech.”
“As pastor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, I am proud to join the mighty chorus of voices, including that of President Barack Obama and former Presidents Carter and Clinton, on today as we unify — not only in commemoration – but in a fierce recommitment to the vision of the Beloved Community,” the Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer, said in a statement. Warnock will be in Washington, D.C. for the ceremony.
The event, which is free, will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Bells ring at 3 p.m.) Wednesday at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Heritage Sanctuary, 407 Auburn Ave. N.E. The Rev. Shanan Jones, Ebenezer’s assistant pastor, will offer the call to action. The Rev. Michael S. Wortham, will give the prayer of commemoration, which leads to the bell ringing.
