LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- People in Louisville remembered the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ahead of his national holiday Monday.

The Keepers of the Dream: A Community Celebration of Dr. King featured art, activism and advocacy at the Kentucky Center in downtown Louisville Sunday evening. The city's annual MLK celebration mixed King's legacy with recognition for people in Louisville working to keep it alive.

Ramona Dallum, an artist and philanthropist, was among the recipients.

"Stitching together people and resources for a better community and I believe that is what Dr. King wanted us to do," Dallum said. "To take the best parts of ourselves and see how we fit those pieces together to make a community where we all can experience the best quality of life."

JoAnn James received the 2025 Mayor's Freedom Award. James has worked for Jefferson County Public Schools as a social worker for 30 years. Even in retirement, she champions causes for young people like voter registration with the NAACP.

King Solomon Baptist Church is inviting everyone to take part in the 53rd annual MLK Jr. motorcade Monday.

"The beauty about education is no one can take that away from you," James said. "This is an honor. I want to make Dr. King happy, I want to speak his name, that's how his legacy continues on."

Author and activist Hannah Drake was also recognized for living the vision. Drake is also the co-executive director of the (Un)Known Project, an initiative dedicated to uncovering hidden names and stories of black people who were enslaved in America.

"If we are going to change Louisville, if we are going to change Kentucky and we are going to change this nation, it is going to be us that does, today is the day," James said. "So that's why I'm the keeper of a vision and it ain't always easy because they love Dr. King today but they hated him when he was marching."

King was no stranger to Louisville. His brother, the Rev. A. D. Williams King, pastored Zion Baptist church in Louisville. King visited the city several times in the 1960s including leading a march the week of derby in 1967 calling for open housing.

This year's Keepers of the Dream focused on the women of the movement, who worked alongside King to carry the country forward. The MLK holiday falling on inauguration day this year was an underlying topic in Sunday’s event. Speakers touched on it repeatedly while alluded to nations current political climate.

“Tomorrow we will face the contradictions of contradiction and as we walk into an uncertain future it becomes imperative upon us to embrace the challenge of Dr. Martin Luther King to continue to build the community,” said Rev. Dr. Corrie Shull.

Shull is chair of the JCPS Board of Education and Pastor of Burnett Avenue Baptist Church. He was the only male honoree this year receiving the Mayor’s Freedom Award.

"Recognize that we are all citizens of the world house and that when we work for the betterment, flourishing and thriving of the least of these, we will all benefit," Shull said. 

King Solomon Baptist Church is inviting everyone to take part in the 53rd annual MLK Jr. motorcade Monday morning. It starts at 5 a.m. with "Beloved Community" roundtable discussions.

Then the motorcade will start lining up at 10 a.m. at the Kroger parking lot on 28th Street and West Broadway. It will travel to several historical sites throughout the city's west end and then back to King Solomon Baptist Church.

From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be an MLK citywide church service hosted by Elliott. It will include live music and community leaders will speak. A lunch will be served at 2 p.m. by Jesus Movement. 

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