King Solomon Baptist Church remembers Martin Luther King Jr. on ‘Kentucky Day of Nonviolence’
King Solomon Baptist Church held a special service on the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s death, which shocked the country 56 years ago on April 4, 1968. King Solomon Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, held a special service on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death on April 4, 1968. The church and other organizations have called for the day of nonviolence in King's honor, with the church leading a movement to declare April 4th “Kentucky Day of Nonviolence’ in honor of King’�s non-violent philosophy. The service has been held every April 4 for 56 years to honor local sanitation workers in Louisville to commemorate King's death anniversary. Church leaders continue this event so young generations can learn about the power of nonviolent behavior.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Noelle Friel in
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - King Solomon Baptist Church held a special service on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, which shocked the country 56 years ago on April 4, 1968.
Pastor Charles Elliot Jr., a civil rights leader and pastor at the church, was an associate of Martin Luther King during the civil rights movement. He was appointed by King as the Louisville chairman of the Kentucky Christian Leadership Conference.
In April 1968, he was with King in Memphis, Tennessee marching with sanitation workers who had gone on strike. It would be King’s last demonstration before he was assassinated.
The night before he was killed, Pastor Elliot said he left them with a message.
“He told us, ‘I might not get there with you, but one of these days, we will get there,’” Elliot said.
Every April 4 for 56 years, Pastor Elliot has honored local sanitation workers in Louisville to commemorate the anniversary of King’s death.
Beyond paying homage to those workers, April 4 has also become a day to call for nonviolence in King’s honor. The church and other organizations have spearheaded a movement to declare April 4th “Kentucky Day of Nonviolence” in honor of King’s non-violent philosophy, a sentiment that’s especially meaningful in a city that’s been plagued by gun violence.
It’s now become a day to call for solutions.
“We stop to say put the guns down,” Reverend Wanda McIntyre said. “And we want to say if you know something, say something.”
“It’s going on, every year from the Fischer administration to the Greenberg administration,” West Louisville Urban Coalition President Neal Robertson said. “If we don’t come up with a plan very soon, we’re going to be wiped out in terms of our young people.”
Church leaders say they continue this event so young generations can continue to learn about the power of nonviolence.
“That philosophy is a non-violent philosophy that says that nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people,” American Clergy Leadership Conference National Co-Chair Dr. Luonne Rouse said. “You got to have the courage to be - the courage to be free, the courage to stand for righteousness and justice but also the courage to stand for the value of somebody’s life.”
You can learn more about King Solomon Baptist Church on their Facebook page.
Topics: Christianity