ATLANTA — There was new call for unity Thursday from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King.
She organized a diverse group of pastors for an initiative called Better Together.
The call comes as the nation reels from the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
King is carrying on her father’s legacy. She said in order to heal the racial divide in our country, it’s going to take everyone and it’s not going to happen overnight.
"It's time for us 2 have a different conversation about racism" Church leaders unite 2 deal w/ race in US @ebenezer_atl @BerniceKing @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/btCPcECJWG
— Lori A Wilson (@LoriWilsonWSB) August 24, 2017
At an impassioned rally Thursday, King stood in the church where years ago her father preached peace, non-violence and racial reconciliation with the same message.
“One thing we agree on is that racism is pernicious and it must be confronted and it must be dealt its final blow,” King said.
King started the year long initiative better together in April it brings together pastors from various backgrounds and ideologies with the goal of creating relationships that can heal the racial divide in this country.
“For the past several months this group of multi-racial pastors has been working diligently to build a coalition founded on mutual respect, understanding, and comradeship,” King said. “Working together, these spiritual leaders will light the way out of the darkness of the current divisive and polarized climate towards the creation of the Beloved Community.”
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“I don’t think we can reconcile until I know him, he knows me and we understand each other,” the Rev. Reggie Joiner, with North Point Community Church, told Channel 2’s Lori Wilson.
“It’s one thing to say you’re in the neighborhood. It’s another thing to have true brotherhood. So the way we model that is we make sure that this isn’t just window dressing,” said the Rev. Lee Jenkins, with Eagles Nest Church.
Pastors in the group mentioned Charlottesville’s Heather Heyer and those who were killed known as the Charleston 9 examples of why a healing is as important in today’s climate as it was in the '60s.
“There is no place for neo-Nazi-ism, hatred, racism or bigotry. But we are standing on the word of God that love does cover a multitude of sins,” King said.
There are 100 area pastors that have come together as part of the initiative. King said she hopes the initiative will become a model for cities across the country.
Cox Media Group
