Atlanta’s religious and cultural diversity is one of the things that makes this city special, a group of local faith leaders said Sunday.
In a half-hour special aired on WSB’s website, preachers, rabbis, imams and other spiritual leaders from across Atlanta commended Mayor Andre Dickens’ inclusivity efforts and wished him well during his second term in office, which officially begins this week.
The broadcast, dubbed “The Spirit of Atlanta,” was part of three days of events hosted by the Dickens campaign ahead of the mayor’s swearing-in ceremony Monday.
It included remarks from U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, as well as the leaders of other Atlanta churches, mosques, synagogues and temples. Warnock called Dickens “a son of this city” who residents have “entrusted once again with the work of stewarding Atlanta’s future.”
“The future of this city is not written by one person alone, but by all of us,” the Democrat said, calling Atlanta “a city with a soul” largely shaped by the civil rights movement.
Richard Brown, who said he was introduced to Buddhism five decades ago while working as an Atlanta police officer, said the city has a rich history of mayors willing to stand up for people during “challenging, chaotic” times.
He named Ivan Allen Jr., Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young, saying the three former mayors helped solidify Atlanta’s legacy as a city “too busy to hate, but also not too busy to love.”
Dickens, Brown said, is working to carry on that tradition.
Dickens, a 51-year-old Adamsville native, cruised to reelection in November, easily securing a second four-year term as Atlanta mayor.
His inauguration ceremony starts at 1 p.m. Monday at Georgia State University’s Convocation Center, followed by a reception at City Hall.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
