Community members came together in Bridgeport Wednesday to pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his death.

Pastor, elementary school teacher and City Councilwoman Mary McBride-Lee said what needs to be commemorated is the mission the civil right leader set out to accomplish by following in his footsteps and tackling issues like institutional racism and enduring social inequalities, which require action and not words.   

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Those who came to pay tribute said the City of Bridgeport needs to adopt a more formal way of recognizing the accomplishments of King.