Washington D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) delivered remarks on the U.S. Senate floor commemorating the two-year anniversary of the March 16, 2021 Atlanta spa shootings and remembering the lives of the eight Georgians who were lost in the tragic event. In his remarks, Senator Warnock honored the memory of these Georgians with a moment of silence, and highlighted the continued importance of working to #StopAsianHate in Georgia and across the rest of the country.

Senator Reverend Warnock has advocated vocally in the Senate to #StopAsianHate, including co-leading and passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act which was signed into law in 2021. In the legislation, Senator Warnock led the effort to include the names of the Atlanta Spa Shooting victims in the legislation, so the nation will never forget the lives that were lost.  

Highlights of Senator Reverend Warnock’s floor speech can be found here:

“It was two years ago […] that a hateful act of violence shook metropolitan Atlanta, reverberated across our state, our nation and the world. In the span of a few hours, our sense of safety and sanctuary was ripped apart by bullets born of hate and fear”

“I think back to how Georgians charted a path forward for our nation two years ago. Two years ago, we came together and reminded each other that the only way to face the future is to love one another; to be respectful of our different histories while focused on our shared future”

“And so let us continue working together to stop Asian hate, to stop the scapegoating that often emerges —sadly — in political speech and to create what Dr. King called the beloved community. It is a community where everybody, no matter their skin color, their ethnicity, their sexual orientation, their religious background, or if they claim no religious tradition at all, can live a life of fulfillment and joy without the fear of facing hate and unspeakable violence.”

View the full transcript of Senator Reverend Warnock’s floor speech here:

“Mr. President, I rise today to reflect on a dark day in Georgia.

“It was two years ago today that a hateful act of violence shook metropolitan Atlanta, reverberated across our state, our nation and the world. In the span of a few hours, our sense of safety and sanctuary was ripped apart by bullets born of hate and fear.

“An issue. Mr. President [Sen. Chris Murphy], you know very well and have engaged on many sad occasions. 

“But two years ago in Georgia, eight people lost their lives, eight people loved by their families, their friends, by their children.

“They should never become numbers or statistics. Eight souls, eight people with their own successes and struggles, their hopes and dreams. We speak their names: 

“Soon Chung Park,

“Hyun Jung Grant,

“Suncha Kim,

“Yong Ae Yue,

“Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez,

“Paul Andre Michels,

“Xiaojie Tan, and

“Daoyou Feng.

“My heart aches for these Georgians and for their families for whom these wounds still fester. The comfort provided by a loving family is still not enough to fill the empty seat at the dinner table. Or those times when a family member out of routine picks up the phone to dial and remembers in the moment that there’s nobody on the other end of that call.

“As a pastor, I believe in the sacred worth of every human being. I believe that we are a mixture of dust and divinity, of sod and sky, beauty and possibility. And so I ask now that everyone who is here will join me in a moment of silence. Let us remember these eight Georgians and pray for their families. 

“God, in your mercy, remember them and strengthen us to do the work. Amen.

“Importantly, I must mention, this attack was meant to harm Georgia’s Asian American community and especially women of Asian descent. And unfortunately, this awful act that happened in Georgia is not isolated, but rather part of the same trend of growing hate and violence, which has caused pain to so many of us, especially members of the AAPI community. In recent years, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased significantly, more than 300%, according to media reports.

“And at the same time, we’ve seen acts of hate rise against our Jewish brothers and sisters against our Muslim friends and neighbors. Yes, against the LGBTQ+ community and our trans brothers and sisters, and against the sense of safety our students have felt at our historically Black colleges and universities. 

“And so I think back to how Georgians charted a path forward for our nation two years ago. Two years ago, we came together and reminded each other that the only way to face the future is to love one another; to be respectful of our different histories while focused on our shared future. 

“Georgia’s greatest son — that great American— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best. He said, ‘We are tied in a single garment of destiny, caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality.’ Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.

“That terrible act of violence we witnessed on March 16th, 2021 ought to remind us that we all have a stake in each other’s well-being. That it is our duty to stay committed to a peace that recognizes that we are in this together. And so I want to say to my AAPI sisters and brothers, I want to say to all of my neighbors, that I see you and I will continue to stand with you against hate and against violence.

“And so let us continue working together to stop Asian hate, to stop the scapegoating that often emerges —sadly — in political speech and to create what Dr. King called the beloved community. It is a community where everybody, no matter their skin color, their ethnicity, their sexual orientation, their religious background, or if they claim no religious tradition at all, can live a life of fulfillment and joy without the fear of facing hate and unspeakable violence.

“Thank you so very much. Let’s keep doing the work.”