MLK Day services move to virtual events as people remember civil rights icon

ATLANTA — Today’s MLK Day service at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta was one like no other.

There are normally hundreds of people inside the sanctuary and several hundred outside, but because of COVID-19, the service is virtual and there are only dozens of people here in this historic area of Atlanta.

[SPECIAL PAGE: Honoring MLK]

But some people were there visiting the area just to see the sites were Martin Luther King preached and to pay homage to him and his legacy.

Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston saw King’s daughter Bernice King the current CEO of the King Center and King’s sister, Kristine King Farris walking into Ebenezer church for the service. Its theme this year, the urgency of creating the beloved community, after a year of health and political uncertainty.

[RELATED: Celebrate MLK Day with these metro Atlanta events]

This past weekend would have been King’s 92 birthday.

In a conversation with Bernice King, the daughter of the civil rights icon said the attack at the Capitol would be disturbing to him too.

“Acts of violence were always very troubling and disturbing to him,” King said. “He would be encouraging us all the way around. One that we do have to ensure that there are penalties for those who violated the law because that was not peaceful protest. We need to stop calling it that. That was an insurrection.”

“Violent vs. non-violent revolutions, non-violent revolutions are more successful,” King said. “They have more adherence. They win more people over. Violent ones don’t.”

Hosea volunteers feed over 1,000 metro Atlanta families in need on MLK Day

Cox Media Group