CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- The Carbondale NAACP Branch held it's 39th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Program to celebrate and honor the legacy of Dr. King.
Although this year's event was virtual there was still plenty of entertainment and presentations.
This year's theme was "Chaos or Community: Where Do We Go From Here?," a topic that encouraged viewers to think about how to apply Dr. Martin Luther's King's legacy in light of recent events.
Along with musical performances and speeches, Carbondale NAACP President Linda Flowers announced newly elected officers of the Branch.
The keynote speaker was Carbondale Activist Matt Wilson, who highlighted recent accomplishments within the community and reflected on recent civil unrest.
"It makes me scratch my head and question how far we have come. Yes our society has made improvements, and I don't take those for granted. But you can clearly see that we still have a long way to go," he said.
There were 3 winners of the King Essay contest and here's a snippet of one of them:
"I hope that one day, my community will be an example for other communities to see what it looks like to love and care about all people no matter what they look like or what they have," said 5th grader Kalani Lloyd.
The winners will receive a certificate from their school and a gift card and there were also two winners for the scholarship.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also a day of service and the Carbondale NAACP is encouraging people to go out and volunteer.
