Songs of struggle and determination and words of hope and history Monday inspired the crowd of more than 70 people who gathered at the Butler YWCA in celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The room was filled for the fourth annual breakfast sponsored by the Unity Project of Butler, the YWCA and the American Association of University Women of Butler.

The program opened with several songs and reflections presented by Kenneth Anderson, who cited stories of the Civil War era leading into the Negro spiritual, "Every Time I Feel the Spirit Moving in My Heart I Will Pray."

Recalling the events leading up to the civil rights march on Washington in 1963, Anderson remembered choosing not to attend because of scenes of non-violent protestors being attacked with fire hoses.

Acknowledging his choice was a mistake, he explained he didn't fully appreciate the importance of the movement at the time.

"This is as American as apple pie and it really speaks to our triumphs and sorrows," said Anderson before singing "Old Man River."

After Anderson's performance, Elizabeth Asche Douglas, the keynote speaker, took the podium to speak on "King and Culture."

Asche Douglas, an author, artist and retired professor, is the owner of the Douglas Art Gallery in Rochester, Beaver County, and is known as the first lady of art in Beaver Falls.

Behind the podium, a banner displayed the words of King: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

Asche Douglas spoke on the history leading up to King's actions, including the African-American artists that may have influenced him.

She sang "Sunday, Oh Come Sunday" that had been sung by famed gospel singer Mahalia Jackson to the music of Duke Ellington.

Though Ellington's music had debuted years before King's marches and protests, Jackson's performance of the song would become a moving ballad for the civil rights movement.

"Dear Lord, dear Lord above. God of mercy, God of love; please look down and see my people through," sang Asche Douglas.

The speaker went on to quote the words of poet Langston Hughes in the poem "Let America be America Again."

"Let America be America again.

"Let it be the dream it used to be.

"Let it be the pioneer on the plain.

"Seeking a home where he himself is free."

Asche Douglas said the poem, which was written in 1938, served as an inspiration to King, saying King elevated Hughes' bitter language to his hopeful "I Have a Dream" speech.

In addition to talking about the cultural history preceding King's efforts, Asche Douglas took time to focus on the song, "We Shall Overcome," the anthem of the civil rights movement.

She said the significance of the song is not only for African-Americans but for others striving for equal rights. Douglas cited other places and times when the song had been used, including Chinese students protesting in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

She said the song was formed by merging the tune to an old Negro spiritual with the words to the hymn, "I Shall Overcome," by Charles Tindley.

Asche Douglas noted when a search for Martin Luther King Jr. was entered in the Internet search engine Google, nearly 4 million hits are made.

She also said there are more than 1,000 memorials sites in honor of King.