Boxer's Long Road to Glory
CHO: Welcome back, everybody, to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Alina Cho. T.J. Holmes is on assignment. It's 29 minutes after the hour. Here's what's happening. There's no question that the heart and soul of the civil rights movement was embedded in the black church. One name synonymous with activism is the Ebenezer Baptist Church under the helm of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As our T.J. Holmes tells us in this morning's "Faces of Faith," it's a church known for its leadership and that isn't about to change any time soon.</s>T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his passionate, fiery speeches from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church is seared into Americans' memories of the civil rights era.</s>REV. RAPHAEL G. WARNOCK, SR. PASTOR, EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH: I like to say that Ebenezer Baptist Church was born to fly. Martin Luther King Jr. is a part of that long tradition. But while Dr. King was freedom's voice, I think it's important to emphasize that he was a part of a long freedom train.</s>HOLMES: Dr. Raphael Warnock is only the fifth senior pastor in Ebenezer's 125-year history. Warnock says every one of them has a track record linked to Dr. King's legacy.</s>WARNOCK: His maternal grandfather -- the second pastor of this church, A.D. Williams, was an activist in his own right. His father, Martin Luther King Sr., was also an activist. We remember the Voting Rights Law of 1965. What fewer people know is that in 1935, Martin Luther King Sr. engaged a voting rights campaign here in Atlanta.</s>HOLMES: Warnock says that sense of activism continues today as witnessed recently by the church's vocal, yet failed, efforts to stop the execution of Troy Davis following a murder conviction based, in part, on testimony later recanted.</s>WARNOCK: This is Jim Crow in a new era. There's just too much doubt for this execution to continue. If we continue to try to do justice to the great legacy that's been passed on to us --</s>HOLMES: Ebenezer's flock moved into this now-historic building in 1922. Then in 1999, a new church opened. Like the old building, the new one is a meeting place for the city's African-American community. It was standing-room only the night Barack Obama was elected president. Reverend Warnock was 35 when he took the reins of this historic church becoming the youngest ever to lead Ebenezer, working in the shadows of a man he still considers a role model.</s>WARNOCK: I'll tell you this. Early on as a child, I was always very fascinated and inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. as an 8-year- old, as a 9-year-old. His words captivated me. I decided to go to Morehouse College because he attended Morehouse College. I pursued a PhD in systematic theology because, like him, I wanted to bring a kind of serious and disciplined questioning to my faith.</s>HOLMES: Like King, Warnock is also a Georgia native whose father was a minister.</s>WARNOCK: Let's pray to our God. Would you bow with me?</s>HOLMES: But Warnock says it's his turn now to preserve and extend the legacy of Ebenezer Baptist Church. T.J. Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.</s>CHO: And if you'd like to read more about religion and spirituality, go to our belief blog at CNN.com/belief. You can also share your thoughts. Later this morning, the culmination of a dream: for many Americans and frankly, many around the world, a memorial in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be dedicated in the nation's capital. A ceremony is under way right now. The four-acre memorial on the National Mall cost $120 million to build and was 14 years in the making. And you may be surprised to learn -- I certainly was -- that one of the early contributors was fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. And Tommy is joining me now from Washington; hey, Tommy, nice to see you. You know, I -- I have interviewed you many times about fashion.</s>TOMMY HILFIGER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, TOMMY HILFIGER: Good morning.</s>CHO: But I have to say, when I saw your name on the list of speakers over the weekend, I thought to myself, now what in the world is Tommy Hilfiger doing involved with this effort? How did you get involved?</s>HILFIGER: Well, as an American iconic brand we thought it was important to give back and when we found out they were going to create this memorial, my partner Joel Horowitz at the time told me his parents marched with Dr. King and that inspired me to want to do something. So we gathered everyone in the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation together and we tapped into the Tommy Hilfiger Foundation which we established 15 years ago and said, ok, we want to do something significant to show our respect for Dr. King. And we were one of the first corporations to donate a substantial amount of money. We created the Dream Concert for raising money with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and a number of stars at Radio City Music Hall in New York.</s>CHO: And I know that was that -- right -- that was at Radio City. That was at Radio City I remember that. And -- and Tommy, I mean, you're not talking chump change here; $7 million you donated and you were as you've mentioned one of the first American companies, if not the first to sign on, 12 years ago. You even have one Tommy Hilfiger employee dedicated to the effort in Washington, don't you? What is he or she doing?</s>HILFIGER: Well, she's a full-time administrator. There's a lot to really get this executed properly. It's been a long time coming so they needed all the hands and all the brains they could possibly get. So we had one of our chief executives go to Washington and work with them. She's been living in Washington, working with them every single day to try to make this dream come true.</s>CHO: Tommy, I know you'll be speaking later on. What's -- can you give us a preview of what you're going to say? And also, just your memories of Dr. King; I know you refer often to the "I have a dream" speech.</s>HILFIGER: Well, I will say that my father told me when I was a young boy that there were two people who would be important in the world -- one was MLK and one was JFK. That has remained in my mind for many, many years. And I think it influenced me and inspired me to get behind this project.</s>CHO: Tommy Hilfiger, a joy to talk to you, a joy to see you, as always. I'm sure I'll see you shortly in New York.</s>HILFIGER: Thank you Alina.</s>CHO: Thank you for taking time to be with us this morning.</s>HILFIGER: All the best.</s>CHO: All the best to you as well.</s>HILFIGER: Thank you.</s>CHO: Good luck giving your speech today.</s>HILFIGER: That's right.</s>CHO: "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley coming up right here at the top of the hour and we are counting down to the big GOP debate in Las Vegas airing right here on CNN this Tuesday. Candy will join us next with a preview. And the stars come out in Hollywood to raise money for Former President Bill Clinton's Foundation. It's a milestone. Did you see all the people there? We're going to tell you about the big names who showed up -- next.