BOARDMAN — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made clear that a commitment and a kind, unselfish heart were the only things needed to serve others.

More than 50 years later, those words remain as true as when the late civil rights leader spoke them, a religious leader says.

“Step up to help the marginalized, the poor and the disenfranchised,” Bishop Tracy S. Malone said. “We have a moral obligation to keep King’s dream alive.”

That’s especially vital because King’s dream of a more fair, just, loving and inclusive society is embedded in God’s vision for humanity, Malone explained during her keynote presentation for a commemorative celebration service Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church, 1463 Shields Road.

A few hundred elected officials, religious leaders and others attended the 2.5 hour program, themed “Remembering What is Civil and Doing What is Right,” to celebrate, remember and honor King’s life and legacy.

Malone, who’s with the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church, noted that many people have embraced and tried to incorporate King’s dream into their lives by working for greater equality, racial harmony, justice and fairness.

“King’s dream was a revolution and a prophetic call for a change in the social order of society,” she said. “It was a movement. King’s conscience left him no choice but to act against injustice.”

He also strongly believed that the evils of racism, militarism and poverty had to be overcome for a just society to prevail.

“Non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good,” Malone quoted King as saying.

Nevertheless, too many people remain silent and do nothing in the face of injustices, something King said was tantamount to hypocrisy. Nearly 52 years after his assassination April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn., segregation and racism remain entrenched in many schools, churches and law-enforcement practices, as well as in the nation’s political system, health care system, prison system and its immigration policies. In addition, a disproportionate number of poor and minority people still deal with homelessness, mass incarceration, a lack of access to healthful foods and other societal ills, Malone continued.

Some churches need to move merely from “the realm of ideas” to “the arena of social action, where change is made,” she said in language that mirrors the social gospel movement, in which religious ethics and teachings are tailored to address current social problems.

Compounding these problems is that many people approach conversations about race and racism too cautiously, afraid they will be judged or vulnerable; others remain in denial that they remain problems, Malone contended.

One way to help tackle racism is to immediately call out people who disrespect, dismiss, denigrate or hurt others, not after the fact, she said.

“There is no such thing as partial bigotry,” Malone added. “We have to stop making excuses for bigotry. Let us commit to doing what is right.”

The Holy Spirit buoyed King when his “vessel” was empty and paved the way for him to live by and spread the philosophy of nonviolence,” said the Rev. Dr. Rosie T. Taylor, Calvary Baptist Church’s pastor who hosted the gathering.

“We are really here to celebrate our opportunity to be God’s nonviolent people,” said the Rev. Jim Ray, a retired Presbyterian pastor and longtime social-justice activist, who also discussed King’s six principles of nonviolence.

In addition, the commemoration included several excerpts from a few of King’s speeches, as well as a Bible reading from10-year-old Dayna Simon, a Valley Christian School fifth-grader. Dayna read from Romans 12:6-16, which, in part, calls upon people to use their gifts wisely, hate all that is evil, hold to what’s good, unselfishly serve God and others and empathize with them.

Making additional remarks were the Rev. Kenneth L. Simon, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Youngstown, who served as worship leader; the Rev. J. Dwayne Heard, pastor of Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church; and the Rev. Joseph Boyd, pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown.