Kentuckians marched for civil rights in Frankfurt, March 5th, 1964.

Today, 60 years later, people were on the streets again in Kentucky's capital city.

Six decades have passed, but for the marchers, the message is the same.

There's work to be done.

It was here in our capital city that people from all walks of life came together 60 years ago in a peaceful but powerful protest to prompt our state leaders to take action.

And that march on these Capitol steps was a demand that Kentucky join in the national struggle for racial equality.

Today, as we celebrate that pivotal march, we honor the memory of those whose footsteps we follow and their vision that continues to guide us today.

Our march today is more than a historical reenactment.

It's a testament to the Commonwealth and frankly, its role in the larger civil rights movement.

It was a bold declaration that Kentucky, our commonwealth, was ready to lead the South out of the shadows of segregation and discrimination.

The Kentucky Civil Rights Act of 1966, the establishment of our Human Rights Commission with powers and the adoption of Fair housing laws were not just legislative victories.

In fact, that Civil Rights Act of 1966 was the first in the country, and it sparked similar actions across our nation.

So Kentucky was not a follower.

Kentucky was a leader.

The fabric of our nation is woven with the threads of diversity and unity, yet it is tested by the forces of division and inequality.

Our past is present in the halls of Frankfort, of our government.

Right now there are those that either do not understand.

They do not care.

They don't are intentional about stopping what must go forward.

And that is an understanding of our history to inform us of our present so that we can make decisions to shape a just a just and unified future.

The March on Frankfort reminds us that our work is far from finished in an era where injustice will raise its ugly head, where the voices of hate and division threaten to drown out the calls for unity and equality.

Our resolve must be stronger.

Longtime civil rights advocate Mattie Jones and State Senator Gerald Neal were among those there for today's march and the march.

60 years ago.