COLORADO SPRINGS — Sixty years ago in Washington, D.C., a historic gathering of some 200,000 people was marked by a historic speech.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech noted that while the country's founders had promised the right to life, liberty, and happiness, that promise had been deferred for Black Americans.
His dream was that one day all men would be treated as equals.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Preservation Society is a nonprofit in Colorado Springs working to commemorate his legacy. They say his dream revolves around non-violence and compassion.
"The dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was that we're responsible for each other, that we're helping each other, that were standing hand-in-hand," said Preservation Society President Shirley Martinez.
Vice President of the nonprofit Minister Earl Shaffer Jr. says while Dr. King's work was historic, it's not ancient history.
"We're only 60 years outside of truly being free as an African-American person in this country and I believe that the fight still continues because there is so much more work that we have to do in our communities to truly achieve equality," said Shaffer Jr.
The group is already planning their own MLK Day celebration and March for January.
Editor's note: Scripps News's Tammy Estwick contributed to this report.
