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CNN Live Today
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebrated
Aired January 20, 2003 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour on CNN, more ceremonies celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King are being held today across the nation forever changed by his leadership.
Let's begin with ceremonies this hour at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, which served as Dr. King's base of operations. Our Brian Cabell is standing by there.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. The Ebenezer, of course, was the church that Martin Luther King went to as a child. This was the church that he co-pastored with his father until he was assassinated in 1968. King's boyhood home is just a couple block up here, and his crypt lies maybe about 100 years away.
Every King Day, the highlight, though, is the morning service here at Ebenezer. Coretta King, his wife, we saw her pass by just about ten minutes ago. She will be issuing the call to commemoration today. Dexter King, his youngest son, will be introducing one of the speakers, and hope (ph) residing will be one of his daughters, Reverend Bernice King.
It is a decidedly ecumenical service here. A rabbi, for instance, will be giving an Old Testament reading. An Arab-American will be speaking, and a Korean reverend will be delivering the benediction.
Among the notables attending today, one of them in particular, of interest, Sonny Perdue, the Republican governor, just elected. He's has also issued a call for a referendum on the old controversial Georgia flag with the Confederate battle emblem on it. That is a cause that is not likely to find much popularity here at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
This will be a traditional service, hearkening back to the '60s. We will hear "Kumbaya" sung here, and we will close out the service today with "We Shall All Overcome" (sic). All of this,of course, a tribute to America's preeminent civil rights leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that somehow, in some way, we could create an America at peace with itself. That some way, we could tear down the walls of segregation, that we can create a sense of one community, one house. And we are on our way there. We're not there yet. But we are in the process of moving toward one house, one family, one nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABELL: Later on this afternoon, at 1:00, a march in downtown Atlanta, a traditional march that will end up here at Ebenezer Baptist Church. It was freezing this morning, but we have blue skies. It is getting sunny, Leon. It should be a glorious day -- back to you.
HARRIS: All right. Thanks, Brian. It's kind of strange for me, knowing how this campaign recently -- a couple of months ago, was waged by Sonny Purdue, the governor of Georgia now, and kind of strange to see him there in that crowd.
CABELL: Also here, I should tell you, is Senator Bill Frist the new Senate leader. He was here, as well, had a few comments. So the Republicans are making a showing here at a traditionally Democratic venue.
HARRIS: All right. Got you. Thanks, Brian. We'll check back with you later on. Brian Cabell, just outside of downtown Atlanta -- Carol.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Thanks, Leon. Well, President Bush attending a commemorative ceremony this morning in Maryland. We just showed him to you just a few moments ago, but the underlying tone is not just the King legacy, but the president's, as it pertains to affirmative action.
CNN White House Correspondent, Dana Bash, joins us with more -- hi, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Well, as you mentioned, the president is commemorating today the holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. at a church, not too far from here in Glenarden, Maryland. It is a predominantly African-American church called the First Baptist Church.
He participated in a round table discussion earlier. And he -- as you see here, is honoring -- participating in a service honoring Dr. King. The White House, in advance of today, announced last night that they are going to propose an increase by 5 percent in money for grants for predominantly African-American and Hispanic colleges and universities.
And Carol, this is all against a backdrop of a decision that the White House made last week that really angered civil rights leaders. That decision was to file a brief in the Supreme Court that opposes a University of Michigan affirmative action case.
Now, this is a very important case. Some people think it's the most important case on affirmative action before the Supreme Court in a generation. Yesterday, Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is one of only two African-American cabinet members of the president, said that he actually supports affirmative action, and that he is a strong proponent of it. Said that -- race should be one of many factors in deciding who gets admitted to universities and that he respectfully disagrees with his boss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe race should be a factor, among many other factors, in determining the makeup of a student body of the university. A public university, a university, exists to educate the public, and if there is any segment of the public that is not adequately represented in the university, the university is doing its charter job to the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Powell said that he has spoken on many occasions to the president about this issue. He has told him that he does wish that America is ready for race-neutral policies, But he said America just isn't there yet. He also made the point, though, of saying that he believes that the president does believe in the ultimate goal of diversity in America, and particularly at universities -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Dana Bash, live at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 20, 2003 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour on CNN, more ceremonies celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King are being held today across the nation forever changed by his leadership.
Let's begin with ceremonies this hour at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, which served as Dr. King's base of operations. Our Brian Cabell is standing by there.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. The Ebenezer, of course, was the church that Martin Luther King went to as a child. This was the church that he co-pastored with his father until he was assassinated in 1968. King's boyhood home is just a couple block up here, and his crypt lies maybe about 100 years away.
Every King Day, the highlight, though, is the morning service here at Ebenezer. Coretta King, his wife, we saw her pass by just about ten minutes ago. She will be issuing the call to commemoration today. Dexter King, his youngest son, will be introducing one of the speakers, and hope (ph) residing will be one of his daughters, Reverend Bernice King.
It is a decidedly ecumenical service here. A rabbi, for instance, will be giving an Old Testament reading. An Arab-American will be speaking, and a Korean reverend will be delivering the benediction.
Among the notables attending today, one of them in particular, of interest, Sonny Perdue, the Republican governor, just elected. He's has also issued a call for a referendum on the old controversial Georgia flag with the Confederate battle emblem on it. That is a cause that is not likely to find much popularity here at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
This will be a traditional service, hearkening back to the '60s. We will hear "Kumbaya" sung here, and we will close out the service today with "We Shall All Overcome" (sic). All of this,of course, a tribute to America's preeminent civil rights leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that somehow, in some way, we could create an America at peace with itself. That some way, we could tear down the walls of segregation, that we can create a sense of one community, one house. And we are on our way there. We're not there yet. But we are in the process of moving toward one house, one family, one nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABELL: Later on this afternoon, at 1:00, a march in downtown Atlanta, a traditional march that will end up here at Ebenezer Baptist Church. It was freezing this morning, but we have blue skies. It is getting sunny, Leon. It should be a glorious day -- back to you.
HARRIS: All right. Thanks, Brian. It's kind of strange for me, knowing how this campaign recently -- a couple of months ago, was waged by Sonny Purdue, the governor of Georgia now, and kind of strange to see him there in that crowd.
CABELL: Also here, I should tell you, is Senator Bill Frist the new Senate leader. He was here, as well, had a few comments. So the Republicans are making a showing here at a traditionally Democratic venue.
HARRIS: All right. Got you. Thanks, Brian. We'll check back with you later on. Brian Cabell, just outside of downtown Atlanta -- Carol.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Thanks, Leon. Well, President Bush attending a commemorative ceremony this morning in Maryland. We just showed him to you just a few moments ago, but the underlying tone is not just the King legacy, but the president's, as it pertains to affirmative action.
CNN White House Correspondent, Dana Bash, joins us with more -- hi, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Well, as you mentioned, the president is commemorating today the holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. at a church, not too far from here in Glenarden, Maryland. It is a predominantly African-American church called the First Baptist Church.
He participated in a round table discussion earlier. And he -- as you see here, is honoring -- participating in a service honoring Dr. King. The White House, in advance of today, announced last night that they are going to propose an increase by 5 percent in money for grants for predominantly African-American and Hispanic colleges and universities.
And Carol, this is all against a backdrop of a decision that the White House made last week that really angered civil rights leaders. That decision was to file a brief in the Supreme Court that opposes a University of Michigan affirmative action case.
Now, this is a very important case. Some people think it's the most important case on affirmative action before the Supreme Court in a generation. Yesterday, Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is one of only two African-American cabinet members of the president, said that he actually supports affirmative action, and that he is a strong proponent of it. Said that -- race should be one of many factors in deciding who gets admitted to universities and that he respectfully disagrees with his boss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe race should be a factor, among many other factors, in determining the makeup of a student body of the university. A public university, a university, exists to educate the public, and if there is any segment of the public that is not adequately represented in the university, the university is doing its charter job to the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Powell said that he has spoken on many occasions to the president about this issue. He has told him that he does wish that America is ready for race-neutral policies, But he said America just isn't there yet. He also made the point, though, of saying that he believes that the president does believe in the ultimate goal of diversity in America, and particularly at universities -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Dana Bash, live at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
