“The Freedom Riders literally put their lives and limbs on the line in order to bring about an America that lives up to its own stated ideals. They are nothing short of American patriots, and honoring them more than 60 years after their historic acts is the least we can do.”

American politician and Baptist minister

Raphael Warnock is an American politician and Mainline Protestant minister in the Baptist tradition. He has served as the junior United States senator from Georgia since 2021 and has been the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, Warnock is known for combining public office with church leadership. His public profile is shaped by both roles, in government and in the pulpit, and by the moral language that often comes with that work.