Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. being shot dead on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tenn. In the Maritimes, there are strong memories of the day in history.

Mayann Francis was the first African Nova Scotian to serve as the province's lieutenant-governor. She says Martin Luther King Jr.'s impact has influenced her path in life.

“He always instilled in people, including myself, the value of education, the value of moving forward, and I always felt that I never wanted to disappoint him,” says Francis.

Rev. Rhonda Britton of the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church was attending an all-black elementary school in Jacksonville, Fla., the day of the assassination.

“There was just like a pall was laid over the school,” Rev. Britton says. “The teachers were in mourning.”

She says King showed that church leaders can, and must, make a difference.

“We can't just stay in our building and act like we don't know what's happening in the world around us,” says Rev. Britton.

Anti-violence activist Quentrel Provo is only 31, but he does remember learning about Martin Luther King Jr. in first grade.

“A lot is built on his approach and how they approached it with non-violence, and how they were just real, and they cared," Provo says.

While the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was tragic, his legacy continues to inspire so many people who want to create the kind of world he would have liked to see.

“It's almost as though he was selected by God to come and open the doors and pave the way. But he wasn't going to be here long,” says Mayann Francis.

For Francis, Britton and Provo, King's legacy is encouraging others to fight injustice.

“Whether you're walking down the street with placards or you're quietly behind the scenes, the important thing to do is speak up,” says Francis.

“As people who are going to be a moral people, a people who seek justice, we have to remember that we can't return evil for evil. We have to return evil with good,” says Britton.

“I believe one day change is going to come. So that's why I don't sleep. That's why I continue to work,” says Provo.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Heidi Petracek.