ATLANTA — US Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) stood in the pulpit of Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and honored the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the annual commemorative service on Monday, Jan. 21.
Sen. Perdue described how when growing up, he recalled his father using Dr. King and his words as an example of that of a leader who was not afraid to do the right thing.
"He was not afraid to challenge the status quo and injustice. He was not afraid to teach us how to get along with each other. He also taught us about adversity," Perdue said. " As Dr. King once said, ‘the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’ – much like today."
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Perdue said that his father, an educator in Houston County, was an inspiration to his father, and that Dr. King helped to put things into greater perspective.
"We need today to reflect on the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King – the things he fought for, the things he died for. He often reminded us that what unites us is far greater than what divides us," Perdue said. "Though we may talk differently, look differently, or have different political views, he would remind us we are one nation under God."
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The senator cited King's 1963 letter from a Birmingham jail defending his commitment to peaceful action.
"In this Birmingham letter, Dr. King wrote, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ My father quoted that more times than I can tell you," Perdue said. “The closing words of that letter are as meaningful today as they were then. ‘Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities and in some not too distant tomorrow, the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.’"