Atlanta Trailblazer Marvin Arrington Sr. remembered fondly at celebration of life at Ebenezer Baptist Church

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A constant force for change and advancement in the City of Atlanta, Marvin S. Arrington Sr. was honored and remembered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Friday.

The city’s longest-serving city council president, renowned attorney, Fulton County Superior Court Judge and fierce activist died at 82 earlier in July.

“He lived and he loved this city and the people in it,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, eulogizing Arrington on Friday. “He was the model for me when I explained what I wanted to be in public service. His love for Atlanta was so strong that if you spent any time, any time around him, you couldn’t help but love Atlanta too.”

Arrington broke the color barrier at Emory University’s law school in 1965, later going on to find and lead one of the nation’s largest Black-run law firms. His later work as a member of the Atlanta City Council — and at the helm of it for 17 years — would advance political and business opportunities for Atlanta’s Black and minority residents. Former Atlanta City Council President and friend Carl Ware noted that Arrington amended the city’s charter after segregation to allow for more African American members.

“Marvin was there and he was a part of that change,” said Ware.

One day after laying in state inside the Atlanta City Council chambers that bear his name, Arrington was remembered fondly at Ebenezer — the same church that played host to the funerals of numerous other heroes of equality, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He was eulogized by colleagues, family and former Georgia governors Andrew Young and Roy Barnes.

“At the funeral of a man who has lived a great life, it should be based on gratitude, rather than grief,” said Barnes. “And that is why we are here today. We are basing our love of Marvin Arrington on gratitude. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to succeed in life. Marvin Arrington succeeded in life.”

A meticulous worker and diligent public servant throughout life, Arrington was detail-oriented right down to calling Ebenezer’s choir director every few months to ensure they were able to sing his hand-picked hymns at his funeral.

Someone who “opened the door and held it” for younger generations, he is viewed as the foundation of modern-day Atlanta, though he seldom gets the same credit as others who worked alongside him.

Through his work on the city council, Arrington spearheaded deals that brought MARTA, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and the Olympics to Atlanta.

“The Bible says that a good name is worth more than gold,” said his son, Marvin Arrington Jr., a Fulton County commissioner. “Marvin Stevens Arrington Sr. built a good name and we are thankful for that name.”

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