The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sought peace, unity and justice – inexorable in his fight against the ideological divisions present in his day.

Such issues remain in contemporary society, but so does the hope he inspired for a better tomorrow.

“If you look back at Dr. King, people’s futures depended on him,” said Ryan Dearbone, president of the Bowling Green-Warren County NAACP chapter and chairman of the Bowling Green MLK Day Planning Committee. “Nowadays, where we see a lot of civil unrest, racism, sexism – the future we want starts with us. We can’t look to someone else to make things right.”

So, for Bowling Green’s 21st Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, the three-day event will not focus on solely commemorating the hero and will instead encourage the community to reflect on all people’s power to create change through the theme, “My future depends on ME.”

“For adults, it means that we help shape the future,” Dearbone said. “For the youth, it means the future that they want depends on them. They make their own decision on how they’re going to be perceived in this world or how they’re going to make a difference in this world.”

The community continues to progress with civil rights, according to Dearbone, despite the rhetoric of fear-mongering and dehumanization currently affecting the nation.

But he believes there is still much work to be done.

“Days like MLK Day is a great time to look at what we need to fix, what can we do better, (and) how we as a community progresses,” Dearbone said.

Before the official holiday, which is Jan. 21, there will be singing, dancing and youth performances during “A Night with the King: Standing Up for the Dream” at Mount Zion Baptist Church at 6 p.m. Jan. 16.

On Jan. 20, “youth night” from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School will focus on fostering a relationship between the community and police.

The Bowling Green Police Department will share lessons on what’s expected from both citizens and the officers.

“We want them to see (the police) in a positive situation, not just in a situation when there’s an issue,” Dearbone said. “We don’t want the community and the police to be at odds.”

Also on Sunday, an expert in self-defense will teach a few moves.

On Jan. 21, a memorial breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m. at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School. Tickets are $15 and will be available at the Bowling Green Human Rights Commission or at the door the day of the event. This is the only MLK Day event that isn’t free.

At 10 a.m., the public will walk from the Warren County Justice Center to State Street Baptist Church.

Inside the church, attendees can expect singing, a presentation of the annual humanitarian award and a few speeches starting about 11 a.m.

Dr. Stacy Spencer, a pastor from Memphis, is the keynote speaker, and his message will reflect this year’s theme.

“We want them to have something to get through next year,” Dearbone said. “We want them to put those words into practice.”