Hundreds gathered Monday morning to remember and celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at the city’s 54th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast under the theme of “Keeping the Promise of Democracy” — with many speakers solemnly warning of the threats that promise faces.

“All around us we have sobering evidence that gains are not guaranteed,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, speaking on the scholarships awarded during the breakfast and the state of education. “We need to reflect on our past, revisit King’s blueprint for radical change, and fortify ourselves for the urgent fights ahead. This is no easy task, but it is an imperative for us all.”

Speakers, including keynote speaker and Harvard professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Gov. Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, AG Andrea Campbell and Sen. Ed Markey, touched on events from the end of landmarks like affirmative action and Roe v. Wade, to upticks in challenges to diverse books and educational curriculum, to “assaults” on the country’s democracy.

The theme comes from the quote in King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”

“Our special responsibility in this moment of great challenge everywhere is to step up and step into the vision that we know is possible, but only if we’re willing to include everyone in our community,” said Wu at a noon event co-hosted by the city and BU. “So we must continue this marathon toward the unrealized promise of liberty and justice for all. Knowing as Dr. King did, that it won’t be easy.”

Wu noted the city’s will announce partners for the Reparations Taskforce in the “coming weeks.” The mayor also spoke to efforts to address the racial wealth gap through city contracts and first-time homebuyer assistance, the city’s “national precedent” for partnering police community members, faith leaders and others, and other ongoing efforts.

In her speech at the breakfast, Healey called the promise that “every voice will be heard, every community will be respected, every person will have equity in education, their health care, their environment, their opportunity” an “unkept promise.”

Related Articles

MLK Day: A few things you may not know about Martin Luther King Jr.

Patterson: Martin Luther King educated our nation

Gaskin: What I see when I look at ‘The Embrace’ statue

What’s happening around Boston for MLK Day

Officials aim to keep Martin Luther King Jr.’s home safe yet accessible after arson attempt

The governor also announced a new initiative to diversify businesses who are awarded state contracts.

“Our administration applies an equity lens to everything we do – and that includes the process to award state contracts,” said Healey. “We’re proud to be taking this step to reopen contracts that can provide more opportunities for diverse and small businesses to compete.”

The state’s Operational Services Division and the Supplier Diversity Office will assess and reopen statewide contracts to provide opportunities for diverse and small business, the governor’s office said in a release. These include information technology, energy, climate action and other industry opportunities.

The administration will also reach out directly to diverse entrepreneurs to connect them with resources, Healey said, and launch a new Supplier Diversity Office Diverse and Small Business Advisory Board.

The contracts will reopen “later this year,” the release said, and the state will conduct “regular reviews” going forward to open new opportunities to diversify contract recipients.

“Now is the time to advance economic justice in our state,” said Healey. “And that starts with government.”