MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) Hundreds of people gathered at Bishop State College Monday morning for the Port City chapter of Blacks in Government annual breakfast.
One of the attendees was Willie Mathews, who has followed the civil rights movement from its earliest days.
"I marched in Montgomery for the Voting Rights Act," Mathews said, "and followed Martin Luther King's legacy all of these years."
He was proud to celebrate Monday, as President Obama was sworn into a second term in office.
"I'm glad I lived to see the day," Mathews smiled.
Public officials, fraternities, sororities and church groups took part in Monday's breakfast, as King's famous speeches played over a loudspeaker in the background.
"We have to focus on one of his main themes, and that is service and leadership," said Bishop State President Dr. James Lowe.
Some of those practicing those themes are also some of the youngest. Boy Scout Troup 600 was on hand to pass out drinks and serve food. The scouts have learned a lot about Dr. King.
"He helped black people to get equal rights," said troop member Kobe Pogue.
As they remember King, they also lay out hopes for the future.
"We always have to remember that there's always more room for improvement. So always to strive farther and higher," said David Clausell with Blacks in Government.
