More than 50 people made sure Martin Luther King's messages of non-violence and equality for all don't get lost through the generations.

They celebrated King's birthday at a service hosted at the SS. Peter and John Episcopal Church in Auburn Sunday. The event rotates to different holy places each year.

“We're not here to celebrate his birth,” said Abdur-Rahm Muhammad from the Community Wide Dialogue, “We're here to celebrate his life.”

Debra Benjamin comes every year. This year, she brought two of her nephews so they could hear about the impact of King's leadership in the civil rights movement.

“We want to keep it going,” she said.

While a group worked on creating the program to honor King, the two main organizers were Pastor Willie Murray from the Apostolic Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and Pastor Alberta Whitaker from the Holy Ghost Deliverance Center.

Speakers praised King and pointed to the importance of his efforts to overturn prejudice and injustice. Robert Galvin read the famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Between sermons and speeches, the church was filled with music from the Community Choir.

Frederick Richardson, from the Auburn Human Rights Commission, reminded listeners to remember the fact King died preaching for the same treatment for all, not for one or two groups.

The lone elected official to attend, Mayor Timothy Lattimore, spoke about the famous Auburnian William Seward's role in the Emancipation Proclamation, a document that ended slavery. Nearly 150 years later, the church where Seward attended hosted the event.

Murray lauded another former Auburn resident in the fight for equality and justice.

“Harriet Tubman laid the rails, we call that the Underground Railroad, but Martin Luther King put America back on track,” Murray said.

He also told people to share the history with children to make sure they know how much people struggled for civil rights and appreciate what they have.

“To keep the dream alive, we have to live it every day,” Murray said.

Part of keeping the King's dream alive is education, host Darlene Thomas said. She serves as the district missionary of the Judia Church of God and Christ.

Organizers collected money for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship fund, which goes to graduating high school students.

Rebecca McLaurin echoed the sentiment and said the young generation didn't see the struggle of the previous generations to allow them to have the freedom they enjoy now.

“We want everybody to know and appreciated what he did for us, for the people,” McLaurin said.

When Thomas was growing up, her mother would tell her stories of injustice and discrimination she encountered. The younger generation should hear these tales so they can appreciate how different things are, Thomas said.

“We don't want the message to get lost,” she said.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net