Penn State faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the State College community, gathered last night to affirm their commitment to continue the advances for which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked in his lifetime.

The 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Banquet began the first of many Penn State sponsored events that will observe and commemorate King's life and its lasting impact on the civil rights movement. The banquet was a precursor to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday.

The theme "We Won't Stop Here," was taken from a speech titled "I've Been to the Mountaintop" King gave on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn. -- the day before his assassination.

The theme of King's speech is just as relevant today as it was in his own time, said Lawrence W. Young, president of the Forum on Black Affairs, the organization that sponsored the banquet.

King's speech talks about what educated and enlightened people should be doing, Young said. In his opening statements he referred to King as "the king of human dignity and respect."

"Here in 2003, we've made advances but is this all? We need to ask, 'Is there more that we can do?' " Young added.

He said in the past 20 years he has seen community involvement with the banquet grow.

It was Linda Berry's (junior-kinesiology) third time attending the banquet.

"I go because it's very entertaining and informative," Berry said. "It's a different experience than a regular school day. It's nice interacting with staff and faculty."

The auditorium of the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel was filled with a diverse cross section of members of the Penn State community in terms of both age and ethnicity.

The banquet opened with the Black National Anthem as those in attendance rose to sing.

The banquet included an awards presentation, various speakers, and musical and dance performances.

Kimya Jackson (graduate-biobehavioral health) performed "Freedom in the Air," an interpretive dance she choreographed herself.

The final speaker of the evening was Sherren McKenzie. She spoke about her experience attending a community meeting at age 12 with her great-grandmother during the civil rights movement.

"He had a special way of acknowledging the pauper and the king, giving each respect and honor, he empowered people to press on, keep climbing and dream," McKenzie said of King.

"Dr. King gave me the courage to go out and bond with people. He gave me the possibility for a different kind of life and a new type of freedom," she added.

To conclude the banquet, McKenzie called the audience to stand and link arms with one another and sing "We Shall Overcome."