The life of Raphael Warnock

Meanwhile, Georgia still elected its first Black senator ... This is the story of Reverend Raphael Warnock.

Transcript

00:00We say to America, witness the new South and Georgia is the tip of the spear of a new South

00:08that is more inclusive, that is bold, that is forward-looking,

00:12and we're ready for change and we want change now.

00:30My roots are planted deeply in Georgia soil, a child who grew up in the Caton Homes housing

00:45projects of Savannah, Georgia. Number 11 out of 12 children. A son of my late father,

00:54who was a pastor, a veteran, and a small businessman.

01:00And my mother, who as a teenager growing up in Waycross, Georgia,

01:04used to pick somebody else's cotton.

01:24We stand this afternoon to say as faith leaders that we still believe in Dr. King's dream.

01:38We still believe that we shall overcome. Dr. King died fighting against

01:45the kind of hate-filled and xenophobic speech and sensibilities that we hear

01:50coming once again from the Oval Office.

02:20I do think that his execution, in a real sense, will only add momentum to the movement of those

02:32of us who understand that the state really cannot be trusted with the ultimate punishment.

02:50Bless these United States of America, transform the jangling discords of our nation

03:01into a beautiful symphony of the human family.

03:20The soul of our nation is in peril, and standing up in front of a church,

03:42holding a Bible upside down, is not going to answer this fundamental issue

03:49about the character of our country and the soul of our nation. I would urge

03:54everyone to channel their deep concerns for our country into voting.

04:11What I'm trying to help you to see is that you have power.

04:21And it would be a shame if, come January 5th,

04:24you did not exercise that power. Are you ready to stand up one more time?

04:42We were told that we couldn't win this election. But tonight, we prove that with hope,

04:51hard work, and the people by our side, anything is possible.

05:01May my story be an inspiration to some young person

05:05who is trying to grasp and grab hold of the American dream.