Pastor Lorenzo Sewell referenced Martin Luther King, Jr.'s iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech during President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday. Sewell incorporated the powerful phrase 'Let freedom ring' multiple times in his benediction, a phrase made famous by MLK during his historic speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.
During his invocation, Sewell echoed MLK's words, stating, 'From every mountainside let freedom ring, and because America is called to be a great nation, we believe that you will make this come true.' He continued by quoting MLK's speech, 'Let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado, let freedom ring from the curvaceous hilltops of California.'
Sewell's invocation further included MLK's call for freedom to ring from specific locations such as Stone Mountain, Georgia, Lookout Mountain of Tennessee, and various other places across the nation. The powerful invocation by Sewell on Inauguration Day, coinciding with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year, highlighted the enduring impact of MLK's message of freedom and equality.
