He had a dream. He advocated for equality for all people, regardless of race or economic status. And tomorrow, that dream will be illustrated when black and white, alike, come together at a local church for a celebration tomorrow to honor the legacy of one of the most notable figures in civil rights history.

Mt. Hebron Church of Christ in Washington will host the celebration, a multicultural event honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., tomorrow at 5 p.m. The church is inviting city and local government officials, other church congregations and the public to the event, which will feature organized praise dances performed by youth and young adults, singing selections led by a special gospel group at the church and a legacy presentation of Dr. MLK Jr. with the words of Joyce O’Neal, a P.S. Jones Middle School teacher, who teaches computer classes at the school, said Betty Moore, who grew up in the church.

“They’ve made it a multicultural event. It includes black and white people in the audience,” Moore said. “They want to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream a reality. There will be organized praise dancing among the youth, which is a beautiful form of praise dancing, liturgically. There will be the legacy of Dr. King presented in (O’Neal’s) own words. There will be a gospel that they have there. They will be giving some selections, and you know, the gospel music is something that has been an inspiration to the African American community to help them through the years of inequality to give them a sense of good feeling inside. They got their strength from trusting in the Lord to see a better day.”

Moore said the event is headed by Florence Lodge, a church member and the chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. program committee at the church, who has been instrumental in making the celebration a success. Lodge sees people for the good that’s in them and looks far beyond any kind of skin pigmentation, according to Moore.

“Ms. Florence just wants to make sure we remember those days and we remember the days we are able to enjoy now didn’t come easily,” Moore said. “People fought and died for them. We believe the fellowship is so important. People can see people for who they are without concern for the color of their skin. She works with some of the most prominent families in Washington, and she also helped get the gym (at WHS) named after Dave Smith. She’s done a lot for humanity in Washington. She wants people to get together and fellowship — laugh, talk together and just appreciate each other.

“She just wants to give people the opportunity to fellowship and share this same type of beauty with each other. She and her people want to carry his legacy on and make sure people in the community remember him and what he stood for. So we’re very blessed to have her in our community.”

Moore said the celebration of King’s legacy is important to remember. Having advocated for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, King loved all people, regardless of their social or economic status, and he lived in a time period when people did not seem to have the appreciation for others who did not look like them and didn’t have the same equality. He also focused strongly on peacefully advocating for the right for people of color to vote, as well as for basic human rights for those who, otherwise, were not given them, Moore said.

“(King) did a lot to let people know that people of all colors and social standards matter,” Moore said. “He was concerned about people as far down as garbage collectors to those in high society, and during that time, people were not allowed to vote, and he worked diligently on making sure that people of color were able to vote and not denied that human right.

“He, and the people along with him, black and white, walked with him to make sure human rights were valued, appreciated and respected. They put their own lives on the line for that. With all that happening in the ‘60s, it’s very much in line with what is happening now regarding the voting rights issue going before Congress and all.”

After the celebration, the church will offer refreshments to attendees, and during that time, everyone will have time to fellowship, just as King would have wanted, Moore said.

“We just want to make sure his legacy remains alive,” Moore said. “It promises to be a wonderful, wonderful program, and it’s about people getting along together and respecting each other and listening to good old fashioned gospel music and watching our children doing some positive things. We often hear of the negative things from the younger generation, but Sunday, you will see the positive things.”