On Thursday evening at Kellogg Center, Donzaleigh Abernathy stood before members of the MSU community and told her story; the untold story of her father and King, and the civil rights movement. Abernathy said she was glad to be a part of the 13th-annual “Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey” visiting lecture series organized by the College of Osteopathic Medicine to celebrate Black History Month.

About 200 people attended Thursday’s event, and crowd members were attentive and intrigued by Donzaleigh Abernathy’s stories — including stories of her father, Ralph Abernathy, who was the “thinker and planner” next to King.

With King, Ralph Abernathy organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

It is the obligation of young Americans to know these stories so they can carry on the legacy and remember what it means to be free, Donzaleigh Abernathy said.

“I want (young people) to understand that schools were not always integrated, that education was not always guaranteed … and how we just got those rights during my lifetime,” she said.

International relations and criminal justice senior Angela Kengara said she realizes the meaning of civil rights history.

“It’s very rich for us to know where we have come from as a nation, … just to understand that activism is not just in the ‘60s or in the ‘70s, but activism can happen now,” Kengara said, referring to efforts to stop human trafficking.

Donzaleigh Abernathy used photographs to illustrate her tales, which included the lives of her father and King, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, rallies, King’s speech, which she attended, and his death, she said.

History senior Alayna Washington said she sees how the civil rights movement influenced other national movements, such as women’s rights and voting rights.

“That just sparked other minority groups to go ahead and speak out and fight for their rights as well ­— it kind of paved the way,” Washington said.