Organizers are planning some big events Wednesday to mark 50 years since Atlanta's native son Martin Luther King Jr. urged the world to "let freedom ring."
King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.,. before an audience of 250,000 people who were demonstrating for social change.
During his speech, King said, "Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!"
DeKalb County officials will literally ring a bell from the top of Stone Mountain at 3 p.m. Wednesday. A program will precede the bell-ringing beginning at 1:30 at Stone Mountain Park in DeKalb County.
At 2:30 p.m., a ceremony will begin at Ebenezer Baptist Church in the sanctuary where King preached. The ceremony will culminate with bell ringing at 3 p.m., the exact moment when King delivered his speech. The church is located at 407 Auburn Avenue N.E., Atlanta, GA 30312.
Atlanta City Hall will host a bell ringing ceremony. The event will begin at 2:30 p.m. and culminate at 3:00 p.m. with a collective bell ringing.
"At this exact moment, I am encouraging everyone in Atlanta and across the country -- whether in groups or individually -- to pause, reflect and commemorate this most historic event in our nation's history," Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell said. "If you don't have a bell to ring, then set your smartphone alarm to go off at this precise time. Our collective act of solidarity is the least we can do in honor of what Dr. King and the March On Washington accomplished in making the United States and the world a better place."
Copyright 2013 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
