One of Atlanta’s most storied civil rights pulpits is on the verge of getting the full national spotlight. Georgia lawmakers are pushing to make West Hunter Street Baptist Church, where Ralph David Abernathy Sr. took over as pastor in 1961, a formally recognized national historic site just as a major restoration wraps up and supporters celebrate the centennial of Abernathy’s birth.
Bill advances in Washington
Sen. Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock have reintroduced a bill in the U.S. Senate, while Rep. Nikema Williams has filed a matching measure in the U.S. House, according to a press release from Sen. Ossoff’s office. Congress.gov shows that the current Senate version of the bill (S.2102) was introduced on June 17, 2025, and referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Why the site qualifies
The National Park Service’s special resource study found that West Hunter Street Baptist Church meets the criteria to join the National Park System and documented the congregation’s role in Southern Christian Leadership Conference organizing and local voter outreach, according to the National Park Service. A Senate committee report lays out how the bill would formally establish the Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., National Historic Site, authorize the Interior Secretary to acquire and manage the property, and require a management plan, according to the Senate Committee report.
Restoration, funding and local momentum
The 1906 stone sanctuary on what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Drive has been the focus of a long-running restoration and fundraising effort to stabilize, repair, and bring the space back to life for visitors and neighbors. Rep. Nikema Williams’ 2023 annual report says she secured $4 million in federal funding to furnish the sanctuary and transform the property into an active community space, according to Rep. Williams’ report. Local coverage has tracked the stabilization and rehab work as preservation advocates have pushed to save the building for future generations, according to SaportaReport.
What’s next
Supporters say recent committee action has set the stage for the bill to get a vote on the Senate floor, and a series of events built around Abernathy’s 100th birthday helped shine a brighter spotlight on the effort, as reported by WSB-TV. If both the House and Senate sign off, the National Park Service would be authorized to administer the new unit and complete a management plan within the timetable spelled out in the bill, per the text on Congress.gov and related committee materials.
Family members and preservation leaders have lined up behind the push. “Ralph David Abernathy Sr. was a great Georgian, a great American, and a titan of the civil rights movement,” Ossoff said. Annette Abernathy, president of the Ralph David Abernathy III Foundation, thanked lawmakers for moving to honor her father’s legacy, according to the senators’ press release from Sen. Ossoff’s office.
