Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day came early in Kansas, beginning on his birthday with a march, a formal proclamation and words honoring the beloved civil rights figure. The Jan. 16 event, put on annually by the Kansas African American Affairs Commission,

For many, including nonprofit organizations, Martin Luther King Day serves as a time for remembrance and an opportunity to give back to their communities.

It was first proposed four days after King's 1968 assassination outside a Memphis motel. It took 15 years until it became a federal holiday.