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In celebration

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">HARRISBURG &ndash; Members, family and friends of Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church gathered Monday to honor both American's most celebrated civil rights pioneer and the progress of society.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The 15<sup><span style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup> Annual Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., this year themed &ldquo;Just how far have we come?&rdquo;, featured messages and music from church members and guests.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At the end of the program, all in attendance were invited to offer remarks on the day.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Opal Mann of Carrier Mills, who was noted to be the eldest in attendance at 86, spoke of a friend who had passed away and offered encouragement.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">&ldquo;Let's all pray for one another, and please God, bless everyone,&rdquo; she said.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lisa Bacon referred to the 1939 Billie Holiday song, &ldquo;Strange Fruit,&rdquo; a protest song about the lynching of Africa-Americans. The song compares those murdered, left hanging from trees, to a tree's &ldquo;fruit.&rdquo;

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">&ldquo;We wonder just how far we've come? If Martin Luther was here to say anything, he'd say oh my goodness,&rdquo; Bacon said. &ldquo;Don't let our children &ndash; and some already have &ndash; become strange fruit.&rdquo;

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Marion Riley, a deacon at Mt. Pleasant for about 20 years, spoke about the importance of helping other people in need.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">&ldquo;John F. Kennedy said, 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,'&rdquo; Riley said.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He said people must help others in order for society to function.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">&ldquo;If you see someone struggling, give them a hand,&rdquo; Riley said.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Harrisburg Mayor John McPeek attended to declare a proclamation honoring the ceremony, which he said he enjoyed.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">&ldquo;I'm really glad I went,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;People in this community don't the history of that church. It's one of the older churches in Harrisburg.&rdquo;

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The church was organized in 1880 and the building was moved to its current location at 331 E. Walnut St. in 1921.