NAN - National Action Network Inc.
01/19/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/18/2025 20:30
AHEAD OF NAN MLK DAY RALLY IN WASHINGTON, DC, REV. SHARPTON TO DELIVER SUNDAY SERMON AT HARLEM’S HISTORIC ABYSSINIAN BAPTIST CHURCH
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AHEAD OF NAN MLK DAY RALLY IN WASHINGTON, DC, REV. SHARPTON TO DELIVER SUNDAY SERMON AT HARLEM'S HISTORIC ABYSSINIAN BAPTIST CHURCH
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Jan 19, 2025
Sermon at Home Church of Rev. Sharpton's Childhood Hero, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Comes As Civil Rights Leader Continues to Advance Dr. King's Dream
WASHINGTON, DC (January 18, 2025) - Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), will deliver the sermon at The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem this Sunday, as the civil rights leader prepares for a major mobilization in Washington, D.C., to commemorate MLK Day and announce new safeguards to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Rev. Sharpton's sermon tomorrow morning bears personal significance, as he attended the historic Harlem church as a teenager to hear Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. preach. The Congressional legend became a personal mentor to Rev. Sharpton, and served in the House of Representatives as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advanced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act a year later.
"Adam Clayton Powell inspired me from the pulpit of Abyssinian to dedicate my life to the fight for civil rights, beginning as the youth director for Dr. King's Operation Breadbasket," said Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of National Action Network (NAN). "It is only fitting, as we gear up for a major demonstration in Washington on Monday, that we remember the legacy of Adam Clayton Powell and the other lions of the movement that came out of Abyssinian. From there, we will send a message from the nation's capital that Dr. King's dream is not gone but it is far from realized. Dr. King died fighting for economic justice and it is therefore crucial in this moment we focus our energy on using our dollars to protect diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Due to inclement weather, the march set to begin at McPherson Square at 10 a.m. Monday has been suspended. NAN's rally at the historic Metropolitan AME Church in Washington will carry on, beginning at 11 a.m.
*** If you are interested in covering NAN's March on Inauguration Day on January 20th, please complete this form by 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 19th. ***
Monday's rally will be the culmination of several NAN-led events leading up to the MLK holiday. In addition to NAN's Annual Policy Forum at the House of Justice this Saturday, Rev. Sharpton held a legislative breakfast on Dr. King's actual birthday last Wednesday, January 15th. The breakfast at the Mayflower Hotel was highlighted by a surprise visit by Vice President Kamala Harris in one of her final appearances while in office.
The breakfast honored House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Clarke; Rep. Jasmine Crockett; Eric Bunn, Sr., National Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); and Rev. Terrence Melvin, Secretary-Treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO and President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU).
WHO
Sunday Sermon
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of NAN
MLK Day Rally in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of NAN
Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League
Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor, Metropolitan AME Church
WHEN
Sunday Sermon
Sunday, January 19th, 2025
10 a.m.
MLK Day Rally in Washington, D.C.
Monday, January 20th, 2025
Credential Pick Up at Metropolitan Begins: 9 a.m.
New Rally Start: 11 a.m.
WHERE
Sunday Sermon
The Abyssinian Baptist Church
132 W 138th Street
Harlem, NY 10030
MLK Day Rally in Washington, D.C.
Metropolitan AME Church
1518 M Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality or gender.
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
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