[media-credit name=’Brian Faust’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]More than 40 years after the ’60s civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the Wisconsin Union Theater, people gathered at the auditorium to honor his memory Monday evening.

The 20th annual City-County King Recognition Day program was held at the theater for the first time in its history, attracting community members to see one of King’s personal associates address issues of civil action and rights.

Rev. Walter Fauntroy highlighted the program describing King as the “single-most important man with the single-most important message.”

Fauntroy, who knew King personally, has been pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., since 1959 and served as King’s personal representative to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate, and various cabinet level agencies.

“[King’s] message was simply this — either we learn to live together as brothers and sisters on this planet, or we will perish together as fools,” Fauntroy said. “And that message is more important today than any time in human history.”

Fauntroy encouraged people to stop talking about change and take action.

“If you love Martin Luther King Jr. and if you believe in the American Dream — you must act,” Fauntroy said. “Mister Say ain’t nothin’, Mister Do: the man.”

Change is vital, Fauntroy said, because King’s vision of the world has yet to be realized. Fauntroy emphasized the need for people to take action in their communities to achieve King’s dream, adding no matter how small they might be every person has the capability to make a difference.

“I say to you that Martin stands on the mountaintop now,” Fauntroy said, “beckoning us to make our impossible dreams — as individuals, as a city, as a state, as a nation, as a world — living realities.”

David Efken drove up from Illinois for the day, particularly for the program honoring King. He said Fauntroy’s speech was excellent and motivating, especially what Fauntroy said about getting involved to bring about change.

“It doesn’t have to be a big grandiose thing,” Efken said. “It’s the cumulative effect of all of us taking our own individual actions that seem maybe small or insignificant, but when you multiply them by all of us together — wow — you can really do good things.”

Efken said Fauntroy’s speech was refreshing because it served as a reminder there are many people working to change social, economic and political injustice in the country.

“I’m not immune to admit that it’s nice to get a little shot in the arm every now and then to remind you we’re all in this together,” Efken said. “There are a lot of other people out there working on things we believe need to be addressed.”

In addition to Fauntroy’s speech, the recipients of the Madison and Dane County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Awards and Recognition Awards were honored.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz presented the Humanitarian Awards to Equal Opportunity Commission member and former alderman Bert Zipperer and Shabazz City High School senior Jammie Davis.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk presented the Recognition Awards to Barbara Golden — the founder of the Madison Area Family Advisory/Advocacy Coalition — and Vietnam veteran Will Williams.