This year's MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative Service will be held at Atlanta's Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, will deliver the keynote address. The event will be broadcast live on FOX 5 Atlanta and focuses on the theme 'Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.'
As the nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a traditional commemorative service will take place locally. The 2025 MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative Service kicks off at 9 a.m. on Monday, January 20, 2025, and can be watched live from home. The annual service is held at Atlanta 's Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church , with this year's theme being 'Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365.
' \As in previous years, there are several ways to watch the MLK Day Service live. The official program begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, January 20, 2025, and will be hosted by FOX 5 Atlanta's Deidra Dukes. This year's keynote speaker is Bishop William J. Barber, II, the co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. \Bishop Barber, born in 1963 in Indianapolis and raised in Washington County, North Carolina, has a long history of activism and nonviolent protest. He began his journey at a young age, becoming president of his local NAACP youth council at 15 and the first student body president to serve his integrated school for a full year at 17. His commitment to social justice continued at North Carolina Central University, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in 1985 and later earned a master of divinity from Duke University and a doctorate from Drew University. Barber led regular 'Moral Mondays' protests in Raleigh in 2013, advocating for civil rights. In May 2017, he was arrested at the North Carolina State Legislative Building for refusing to leave during a protest over healthcare legislation. That same month, he announced his intention to follow in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s footsteps, leading the 'Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival,' in honor of Dr. King's 1968 campaign. In 2021, he was arrested again for leading a peaceful protest in Washington, D.C., advocating for voting rights and higher wages. Today, the bishop presides over Repairers of the Breach, a nonprofit based in North Carolina focused on social change, and is also an esteemed professor in the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale University. \MLK Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January, commemorating the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and encouraging reflection on issues of racism and civil rights. Widely considered one of history's greatest nonviolent leaders, King spearheaded the Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. He was instrumental in landmark events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. \Many people mark MLK Day by giving back to their communities, often referring to it as a 'day on, not a day off.' Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service. President Bill Clinton signed the legislation into law on August 23, 1994. AmeriCorps has nationally coordinated MLK Day of Service since 1994, offering an online matchmaker tool to help individuals find community service events in their area. \The King Center hosts a variety of events in honor of Dr. King, including award shows, galas, red carpets, receptions, and community service projects. You can learn more about these events and volunteer opportunities on their website. \Dr. King's birthday was finally made a federal holiday in 1983, but it wasn't until 2000 that all 50 states fully recognized it. In 1968, Michigan Rep. John Conyers introduced the first motion to make King's birthday a federal holiday four days after his assassination in Memphis. He tirelessly reintroduced it each year until 1983 when it finally passed. Illinois became the first state to adopt MLK Day as a state holiday in 1973, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. \It took 11 years for Conyers' initial motion to reach a vote in the House of Representatives in 1979, but it failed by a narrow margin: 252-133. Celebrities eventually joined the fight, with Stevie Wonder releasing his soulful rendition of 'Happy Birthday' in 1981, which became the anthem for the movement. In 1983, the House passed the bill again, this time with a wider margin of 53 votes
MLK Day Martin Luther King Jr. Bishop William J. Barber II Beloved Community Commemorative Service Civil Rights Social Justice Nonviolence Atlanta Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
2025 MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative Service Features Bishop William J. Barber, IIThe 2025 MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative Service will take place at Atlanta's Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday, January 20th, at 9 a.m. This year's theme is 'Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365'. The keynote speaker will be Bishop William J. Barber, II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival. The service will be broadcast live on FOX 5 Atlanta.
Read more »
Bishop William J. Barber II to Keynote 2025 MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative ServiceThe 2025 MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative Service will take place at Atlanta's Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday, January 20th, with Bishop William J. Barber II as the keynote speaker. The service, which commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will feature a theme of 'Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.'
Read more »
Volunteer, learn, and celebrate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in PhiladelphiaThe organizations and museums celebrating MLK Day through concerts, exhibits, and volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia.
Read more »
Honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at a Big Sunday community eventThe volunteer organization's annual MLK Clothing Drive will help those impacted by the fires.
Read more »
Arizona weather forecast: Cool temps on MLK Day in PhoenixA sunny and cool MLK Day in the Valley with a high in the mid 60s.
Read more »
Martin Luther King Jr. holiday 2025: What’s open, what’s closed; Will mail run today?MLK's birthday is marked on the third Monday in January each year.
Read more »