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Who are the black leaders of America today?

We speak to Pastor Lee Jenkins, Dr. Bernice King and Stacey Abrams about modern black leadership in America - and what significance that role holds in 2020.

ATLANTA — Fifty-two years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and nearly four years after America's first black president, who are the black leaders of today - and what are the challenges that face black America?

"The church has become more secular and I think the black church, in particular, as we have prospered, we have taken our eyes off of activism," Pastor Lee Jenkins said.

Jenkins grew up believing black churches held a leadership role during the civil rights movement. It was the church that created leaders like Dr. King and others of the movement. 

"We need that same type of sacrifice today," he said.

Jenkins has made that sacrifice. He left a successful career as an investment advisor to answer a higher calling and become the lead pastor at Eagles Nest Church in Alpharetta.

"I just wanted to make more of an impact, again, on families and on people," he said.

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He also wanted to make an impact on race relations.

"I don't feel like we're in a very good place," he said. "It just looks a little bit different, but there's still a lot of work to be done."

A few years ago, Jenkins jumped into that work with a new idea called the conversation movement. It's a joint effort between his church, predominantly black, and Roswell Community, predominantly white.

"So, what we have tried to do, in these small groups, is to personalize all of our experiences and then that leads to racial unity and understanding," Jenkins said.

Dr. Bernice King says that every generation has to be part of the struggle for freedom.

"Because, if not, we lose ground," she said.

And for her, losing ground is not an option. As CEO of the King Center, she continues to pursue her father's quest for equality. She believes one of today's biggest issues is the racial wealth gap.

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"If there's some kind of disparity or some deficiency that a person has, wealth can put them in a position where they can overcome it," she said.

King said conquering the divide and other racial challenges of our time don't require just one prominent leader like her dad.

"I think it's less about the actual person and more about the collective as we move forward," she said.

Meanwhile, since 2018, Stacey Abrams has become a political darling among Democrats and had a close run for governor of Georgia. Abrams never conceded to Governor Brian Kemp. Instead, her voice got louder, pointing to voter suppression as one of the main reasons she lost.

"During the 1960s, it was evidenced by Jim Crow Laws that physically prevented you from voting - billy clubs, hoses, dogs," Abrams said. "But what it looks like today are administrative rules."

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She created the voting rights advocacy group Fair Fight Action to fix the problem.

"There's a danger inherent in anyone who denies democracy to an eligible citizen," she said. "Because, when we break the machinery of democracy, we don't just break it for those we don't like, we break it for everyone."

Abrams has been named a leader for the Democratic party - even mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for whoever becomes the Democratic presidential nominee.

"As a black woman, as a woman of color, as a person of color, and as a woman, I think that it is absolutely my responsibility to not shrink away from it," she said.

And Abrams has come to realize the importance of her visibility. 

"There's a mural of my face on a building and it's near where my nieces go to daycare," Abrams said. "Knowing that my 4-year-old niece looks up every day and doesn't just see my face but sees her potential and believes that it's possible - and that's what Black History is about."

For Abrams, her place in Black History is still being written. With certainty, she believes one day she will be president of the United States.

"We are part of a nation that has made it its mission to help lift everyone up," Abrams said. "And we cannot be left behind."

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