LANSING - On April 4th, a commemoration ceremony was held at the Michigan State Capitol Building in honor of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's death. The event was organized by the MLK, Jr. Holiday Commission and was open to the public.

The presentation included a brief video screening highlighting The Dr's final public speech, and speakers included members of the Holiday Commission, and local government officials, such as Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, who said in his speech, "The only way that we move forward as a country is to reflect on our nation's history, and to keep alive the memory and sacrifices of those who came before us. On this day 50 years ago, one of history's heroes, the reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was taken from us in the prime of his life. Despite the horrible nature of the attack, the result is Dr. King still bringing this country together, five decades later."

The event was concluded with a ceremonial bell ringing at 7:01pm, the approximate time of Dr. King's death, with guests and speakers alike ringing their bells 39 times, once for each year of The Reverend's historical life.