The community association says the event really marked a triple celebration centered around King's message of peace, justice and unity.

"We are debuting our history screen project where we are showing historical films and historical slides, and we are also getting people ready for and commemorating our luminary tradition. Every Martin Luther King Day, we distribute and put out luminary candles around our houses and throughout the neighborhood in honor of Martin Luther King, and then we're going to have a community discussion about MLK's contribution and especially his leadership and the way his leadership can help us today and looking at some of the current day problems and how he would have handled it," said Doris Meadows, 19th Ward Community Association.

The 19th Ward Community Association has been active since 1965. It is the longest-running, non-profit community association in the United States.