Atlanta leaders celebrate 100th birthday of civil rights icon Rev. Ralph David Abernathy

Atlanta leaders, clergy, and community members gathered Sunday at West Hunter Street Baptist Church to celebrate the centennial birthday of civil rights legend Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., honoring the enduring impact of a man whose work helped reshape the American civil rights movement.

The event, held at the historic church on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, included proclamations from Atlanta City Council members and tributes from community leaders reflecting on Abernathy’s life of faith, leadership, and activism. 

Councilmembers Andrea L. Boone, Wayne Martin, and Michael Julian Bond presented a proclamation honoring the Abernathy family and recognizing the minister’s lifelong contributions to civil rights, public service, and the city of Atlanta. 

Abernathy, born March 11, 1926, in Linden, Alabama, served in the U.S. Army during World War II before dedicating his life to ministry and civil rights advocacy. He later became pastor of West Hunter Street Baptist Church and emerged as one of the most influential leaders of the movement. 

As a close collaborator of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Abernathy helped organize pivotal campaigns across the South. He was a co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and played a key role in major civil rights initiatives, including the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Poor People’s Campaign. 

Following King’s assassination in 1968, Abernathy took on the responsibility of leading the SCLC, continuing the organization’s push for racial justice and economic equality.

“A legacy that still speaks today”

During Sunday’s celebration, speakers reflected on how Abernathy’s message of faith and courage continues to resonate today.

“My name is Marvin Arrington Jr., and it is truly an honor to be here with you today to celebrate this centennial 100th celebration of the Reverend Dr. Ralph David Abernathy,” Arrington said during remarks captured by CBS News.

He also noted that the struggles Abernathy confronted during the civil rights era remain visible in today’s social and political climate.

“We look at what’s going on in the world today, and we see some of the same things that they were facing,” Arrington said. “But if we have faith, we can get through it.”

Speakers also emphasized Atlanta’s unique place in civil rights history and the responsibility to preserve and share those stories with future generations.

Arrington recalled realizing the city’s profound impact when he studied civil rights history in college.

“All the books that he had us reading were about people that I grew up with — the Boones, the Abernathies,” he said. “I didn’t realize how special Atlanta was until I took that course.”

Continuing the story

Community leaders also called for renewed efforts to preserve Abernathy’s story through future projects, including a proposed documentary about his life and legacy.

“It’s such a worthy story to be told,” Arrington said. “We must continue to tell his story.”

Abernathy died on April 17, 1990, but many speakers said his legacy remains deeply woven into Atlanta’s identity and the broader struggle for justice.

City leaders said the centennial celebration was not only about honoring the past, but also about reminding new generations of the moral courage that helped transform the nation.

“His faith, courage and commitment to justice helped transform the moral and social landscape of the United States,” the proclamation honoring Abernathy states.