Southern law student Ebonee Rhodes was the guest speaker at West End ceremony. — Jessica Goff / The Daily Iberian

An eclectic program featuring song, dance and a lecture on bullying Monday were part of honoring the birth of Martin Luther King at West End Park.

The civil rights leader would have turned 82 on Saturday. His message of freedom and unity still resonates with locals, said Thomas Jolivet, District 5 New Iberia interim-City Councilman.

Jolivet read King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in its entirety to a full house inside the recreation center.

“The words still apply,” Jolivet said. “We are still on a journey. We are still fulfilling the dream. We owe that to our children and we have to keep encouraging them to study and work hard. The opportunities are still out there and we have to keep uplifting ourselves.”

The reading of the celebrated speech drew patrons to their feet in applause.

Southern law student and 2010-11 Miss Black International pageant winner Ebonee Rhodes of Shreveport was the guest speaker during the program. She used the event as a platform to share her stance on childhood and teen bullying.

Rhodes said she was a victim of bullying as a child and spoke directly to the children and teens in the audience on the repercussions of mistreating others.

“On Martin Luther King Day, we are going to try to make a commitment to stop bullying,” Rhodes said.

“It really impacts the lives of people forever. You don’t realize that when you say stuff, that stays with you for the rest of your life. You want to treat people well because when you die what you leave is a legacy and that legacy consists of everything you’ve done.”

She asked parents also to not turn a blind eye to the issue.

She closed her speech with a 1963 quote from King, which she said has a message that can be carried today.

“Dr. King once said ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ ” she said.

“And for us today that controversy may be bullying.”

Da’Zhon Davis, a tall, thin 13-year-old, caused the crowd to jump to their feet as he walked out on to the gym floor donning a black fedora, high-hemmed glitter-accented pants and a single, white glove. Davis’ offered an ode the late pop-star Michael Jackson by dancing to the 1983 hit song “Billie Jean.” It was so well-liked by the audience, several who were busy videoing his performance on cell phones, that the teen was immediately asked to perform an encore of the same routine on the recreation center’s stage.

“He loves to dance,” his mother, Paris Davis, said beaming proudly. “He has been dancing his whole life.”