On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed to the world, "I have a dream...”

His speech was given at the Lincoln Memorial after a quarter million people concluded the March on Washington, which became the largest demonstration for human rights of its time.

Martin Luther King, a reverend, scholar and civil rights activist, practiced non-violence and civil disobedience to help change the existence of racial inequalities.

During his life he was recognized by being the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, at age 35, but is predominantly known for his leadership in demonstrations and non-violent protests that challenge racial segregation and racial discrimination, as well as helping many communities.

The controversy surrounding King's actions led to his early death when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. on April 4, 1968.

Though King did not live to see his efforts become a true reality, his passionate speeches, writings and push for community involvement have encouraged others to take action in the pursuit of his dream.

Today, we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday, Jan. 15, 1929, by recognizing his triumphs as a federal holiday. Every third Monday of January has honored King since 1986 after Ronald Regan signed the holiday into law in 1983.

Martin Luther King will be honored in many different ways throughout Sacramento this month.

The first of which was held on Jan. 9 by the MLK Committee, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. They had their 11th Annual Martin Luther King Celebration Dinner at the Sacramento Convention Center. The event was co-founded by Dr. Dorothy Enomoto who was a classmate and close friend of King's.

Chris Webber was the keynote speaker this year at the celebration and the proceeds of the dinner benefit local charities.

Monday, Jan. 18, this year's Martin Luther King Day, will be honored with the 29th MLK March and Celebration.

The march is put on by MLK365, a non-profit organization, whose message this year is “You are the dream and the dream is now.”

The March has two starting points, the traditional southern route which begins at Oak Park Community Center (3425 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) at 8 a.m. and the northern route which begins at Grant High School (1400 Grand Avenue) at 9 a.m.

Both routes will end at the Sacramento Convention Center.

The Convention Center will hold an employment, health and education expo, as well as a talent showcase, and children’s education village.

Sam Starks, Executive Director of MLK365, believes that there may be upwards of 15,000 people participating in the celebration this year if the weather is good.

Starks said the march is geared toward remembering the past and celebrating the future.

“The march allows people to define their freedom,” he said, while participants, “embrace King’s value of diversity.”

Starks reported that the march will also be raising money for a Haiti relief fund.

The MLK March and Celebration is planned to go until 2 p.m. There will also be transportation provided by Regional Transit to return participants to the starting points of the march.

Hands On Sacramento will also be having a Martin Luther King Day of Service, where individuals will be able to volunteer for projects within the Sacramento community.

Rose Nguyen from Hands On Sacramento was happy to report that all the volunteer positions for the day have been filled and just over 1,800 people will be coming out to help.

This is the sixth year that the organization has had a Day of Service for the holiday.

Lastly, the American Red Cross and HOPE will be celebrating Martin Luther King Day by distributing fire prevention and safety tips. These volunteers will be reaching out to residences in south Sacramento neighborhoods from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help spread information on fire safety in the hope of helping to strengthen communities.

For more information on events and locations go to MLK365.org and MLKDay.gov.

The photos above are of the Martin Luther King Celebration Dinner. Photo credit Tia Gemmel.