Avery Lee is 8 years old and he knows he deserves to be treated fairly, and even though it's been more than 40 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died, he knows what the man fought for.

"Without Martin Luther King Jr.'s thoughts, black people cannot be treated like this. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke so everybody could be treated fairly," Lee, of Wilkes-Barre said.

Lee, with his dad, aunt and cousins, was one of about 75 people who attended the annual Martin Luther King Jr. observance program at the Luzerne County Courthouse Thursday night, hosted by the Wilkes-Barre NAACP and the Luzerne County commissioners.

Along with speeches, the program included music by the Mount Zion Baptist Church Youth and Young Adult Choir and 13-year-old pianist Sienna Tabron. Not only did the music capture the attention of the audience, but also of people standing upstairs for the Lamont Cherry murder trial.

Wilkes-Barre NAACP President Ron Felton called for an "I have a dream" rally in 2012, as a way to push Wilkes-Barre City into recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a city holiday.

Felton said he didn't want Thursday's program to just be a symbolic memorial, but a reminder, a call, for people to continue seeking equality. He pointed to how there are only a handful of black teachers in Wilkes-Barre Area School District and a handful of black employees at the Luzerne County Courthouse or Wilkes-Barre City Hall.

Marion Mason, Lee's aunt, said she was a juror at the courthouse last year and she walked around the courthouse and noticed the lack of racial diversity. The family came to pay their respects to King, who "paid the ultimate price," she said. His work paved the way for schools to become integrated so her daughter, Amber, was able to attend and graduate from Duke. She now works at Wilkes-Barre Area schools.

"We just have so much to be thankful for and I just believe he's looking down on us and I think it makes him happy to see that he's not forgotten. And there's a lot of work to be done. The struggle's not over," Marion Mason said.

Commissioner Thomas P. Cooney read a resolution, as Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla was not able to attend as originally planned. Cooney said it's events like the observance program that help keep King's message alive and tangible for all generations. The county is trying to embrace more diversity, starting with the Diversity Commission and members of home-rule transition committee tried to bring more racial diversity onto the committee than it has, he said.

Michaela Cunningham, president of the Wilkes-Barre NAACP Youth Council, shared some of King's history and recognized the work that has been done. But she also said there is still work to be done.

"One thing is certain, when we are ready to end segregation, that will be a powerful moment in history," she said.