Community leaders celebrate Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta

Actor David Oyelowo, who portrays the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the movie "Selma," prepares to speak during a service honoring King at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King preached, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, in Atlanta. Also pictured are King's daughter Bernice King, left, and his sister Christine King Farris, right. Actor David Oyelowo, who portrays the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the movie "Selma," prepares to speak during a service honoring King at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King preached, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, in Atlanta. Also pictured are King's daughter Bernice King, left, and his sister Christine King Farris, right.

By Associated Press January 20, 2015 2 min read

ATLANTA — Speakers honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday at his spiritual home in Atlanta repeated the same message: We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a lot left 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 remember his 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.”

The courage and sacrifice of those who participated in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s provides a model for those who want to act to effect change today, Bernice King said.

“We praise God for a new generation of activists,” she said.