Martin Luther King Jr., a reverend and civil-rights activist, was assassinated at 39. However, he inspired several movements and political changes.

The church is hosting the 38th edition of its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration today at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel. This year's theme, which Lloyd said he selected at the beginning of last year, is based on a King quote: "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

In the decades following the assassination of a man who would one day have his name become synonymous with racial equality, one woman who stood on that