VIDEO: In Lexington, CommUNITY Marches in Memory of MLK

For its honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Lexington CommUNITY Group focused on the history of the Civil Rights Era in the 1960s.

Beginning with a march from to , the Jan. 15 program featured a screening of the documentary film "Come Walk in My Shoes," followed by a discussion and reflection with the Rev. Victor Carpenter, minister emeritus, First Church of Belmont.

After the march but before the film, the , directed by Holly Stumpf, the school's music specialist, performed selections like "Walk a Mile" and "I Have a Dream."

"It's a great way to bring the community together to talk about our common history, what our roles are and responsiblities are within that," said Jill Smilow, a member of the Lexington CommUNITY Group, "And, hopefully, to give something as we walk out of the building today at the end of the program to think about and, in a way, that we might be able to do in the future."

The march stepped off right around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, with walkers young and old walking down Massachusetts Avenue through the frigid afternoon air.

Spotted among the assorted children and adults -- and later recognized by Smilow -- were members of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee with state Rep. Jay Kaufman and Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash.

As he finished the march and made his way up the steps to the Cary Memorial Building, Ash spoke about why it's so important to remember Dr. King decades after his death.

"His message was about peace," Ash said, "And that's always going to be relevant."

Speaking of relevance, Smilow said unfortunately it's very easy to keep the CommUNITY Commemoration relevant even in its 19th year.

"Sadly yes," she said. "Even in this age of having a black president, which we're very proud of, we have a very long way to come in terms of our daily interactions with one another, I'm afraid."