INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hundreds of people gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Thursday to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

The holiday honoring his birth is on Monday, but the statehouse held special celebration in honor of the civil rights icon.

Thousands of people traveled to Washington D.C. in August 1963 to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

“It was packed. It was a great movement.” said Reginald Jones. “Everybody was, I would say, very emotional. Very happy.”

Reginald Jones, was 23 years old when he gathered around the Lincoln Memorial to witness the historic moment.

Fast forward to 2020, new generations are honoring Dr. King’s work and legacy during the 29th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Indiana Holiday Celebration.

“Legacies are the results of what is left behind from a person’s sacrifice and efforts and that are preserved and continued by others,” said Tony Styxx, keynote speaker during Thursday’s event and teacher at Urban Act Academy. “We owe it to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others like-minded as he, to continue to do the work.”

Jones enjoyed the celebration, but said that work isn’t finished.

“We’ve still got to deal with racism. We’ve still got to deal with privilege… white people,” said Jones. “We’ve still got more to go. What I’ve learned in my experience, we must never give up.”

Thursday, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb talked about King’s lasting impact on Hoosiers.

“He taught us how to march. To march to the beat of a drum that put us on a pathway to that freedom,” said Holcomb. “To that unity. He showed us the way, and it still reverberates to this day.”

The celebration continues Monday with a day of service beginning at 9 a.m. at Watkins Family Center in Indianapolis.