For the 26th consecutive year, the community gathered Friday to share breakfast and celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
More than 2,000 people attended the annual celebration at the Osborn Center and heard Andrew Young, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, share his thoughts on King's place in America's journey to civil rights and what the future should hold.
"We think it's complicated to change the world, but it's not. It changes little by little," he said.
Young also is a former mayor of Atlanta and U.S Congressman from Georgia.
Young said one of his "most pleasant memories" of the civil rights movement was being in U.S. District Judge Bryan Simpson's courtroom in Jacksonville.
"He decided we had the right to march peacefully. Because of that decision made in Jacksonville, Martin Luther King went to Washington and (President) Lyndon Johnson signed legislation that ended discrimination in the United States," he said.
Young talked about King's murder in 1968 and what he learned from the experience.
"He died at age 39, but only his body died. What that bullet did was release his spirit to the entire world. Death is the one thing we all have in common. The question is will our work be carried on?" he said.
Young said what King started eventually led to civil rights and human rights reform in South Africa and China and was a factor in the fall of the Soviet Union.
"This breakfast celebrated the spirit of Martin Luther King. The spirit of Martin Luther King is in you and don't ever forget it," Young told the audience.
He said he has watched Mayor Alvin Brown for the past 20 years be "in all the right places" and commended the people of Jacksonville for electing Brown.
"Let me just say nothing happens in your first term. You plant the seeds. It takes a while to plant seeds and nurture them and help them grow," Young said.
He praised Brown's programs for education and mentorship.
"We need to think about developing the next generation of leadership," said Young.
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