MLK’s legacy honored across US

Associated Press

ATLANTA

Speakers honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at his spiritual home in Atlanta repeated the same message on his national holiday Monday: We’ve come a long way, but there’s still much to be done to fulfill King’s dream.

King’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, urged those gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta for the 47th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemorative Service to act out against injustice. But she also said they should heed her father’s message of nonviolence.

“We cannot act unless we understand what Dr. King taught us. He taught us that we still have a choice to make: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation,” she said. “I challenge you to work with us as we help this nation choose nonviolence.”

Commemorative events and service projects were organized nationwide to celebrate King’s life and legacy. In cities nationwide, demonstrators also used the occasion to protest persistent inequality.

This year’s King holiday follows several high-profile incidents in which unarmed black men were killed by police.