About 20 people showed up to take part in the Martin Luther King, Jr. March, though there numbers may have been low, their voices’ and message was loud.

This was the fifth consecutive year the march was held. It started at the McConnell Center, and finished at the courthouse. As they marched others joined in and followed along.

After a presentation at the courthouse everyone went to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, where they ate, socialized and continued with songs and speeches to honor Dr. King.

The message was about unity, and the only way to move forward in this world and get past our differences is to unify, and become stronger.

“If we love thy neighbor as thyself, that’s how we change the world,” Antonio Hall a keynote speaker at the event said.

Hall is a Chaplin in Montgomery, Ala. and has also done prison ministry work for 20 years. He also does substance abuse counseling, and has traveled the world doing motivational speaking.

“I was an honor to be asked to come here and speak. I love this community, and the people here,” Hall said.

Hall spoke about coming together and working as one to finish the dream that Martin Luther King, Jr. started.

“We focus, not on a man’s skin, but on the content of his heart. I’m glad to be apart of that dream, and god has given us the inspiration to be great,” Hall said. “It takes more than just you; we have to work together.”

Brandi Howard is part of Peace in Young Life And Diamond Divaz, the group that put the Martin Luther King, Jr. March together, and said the reason she does it is for the kids.

“When Martin Luther King, Jr. was alive he did the Marches, but the adults grew tired, and had to continue to work to provide for their families, so the kids set up D Day to protest and continue Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision and message,” Howard said. “The kids are the next generation, and if they’re not here who is going to take care of the old folks.”

Michael “Warrior” Bonds performed some motivational poetry at the event. He has been performing art activism poetry for the past 12 years, and has written two books, five CDs and a DVD.

“I use my art as a tool for social justice and change, and it is about teaching and educating people,” Bonds said. “Being asked to be apart of this event is awesome for me, because those people paved the way for me to do what I love. Those folks are the reason we can speak and walk freely.”

Myron Jenkins is a singer and was another keynote speaker at the event, and he gave a revised edition of one of Dr. Kings’ speeches.

“We each hold a piece of the puzzle, and when we put the pieces of the puzzle together we can see the dream that we are free at last,” Jenkins said. “We've come along way but we have a long way to go. Prejudice has just taken another form, and we need to fight for that to change.”

Jenkins said it was an honor for him to be asked to come and speak at the event, but he said it was just a small piece in a bigger picture, and more had to be done if we wanted equality for all.

“You can’t ask for more than what he (Martin Luther King, Jr.) did. He gave the ultimate price for what he believed,” Jenkins said.