CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Those taking part in numerous events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday say more work needs to be done to fulfill his dream and legacy of racial equality.

They also say 2022 has a different energy due to the events of the previous two years.

Those leaders include Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, who cited to the ongoing debate over voting rights at the state and federal level as well as the ongoing debate over police practices following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of law enforcement.

"It does feel different because it is different,” Pureval told Local 12. “There is the fierce urgency of now to fight for access to the ballot for our Black and brown communities, to fight against the gerrymandering that has disenfranchised so many of our communities across our state, and to fight for a just Cincinnati where the playing field is equal and everyone has the same opportunities."

At a speech in Washington Park, Pureval also said there are two Cincinnatis -- a reference to Dr. King's speech, "The Other America" -- and that the city remains segregated.

"We are still two Cincinnatis, unfortunately,” Pureval said in an interview later Monday. "So many of our citizens don't have the opportunities for success. A child born in the east side of our city has a longer life expectancy, has better options for education, has better career options. And so, in order to balance those equities, in order to make sure that everyone has the same opportunity, our city leaders must prioritize racial equity."

Monday's event, organized by the MLK Coalition, culminated in a concert inside Music Hall, but no spectators were allowed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Cincinnati civil rights activist Iris Roley of the Cincinnati Black United Front gave the keynote address for that event.

She stated that Dr. King “didn't tiptoe through the sand,” but instead left his footprints on society.

Roley also said 2022 feels different, but remains hopeful.

"We've seen police being prosecuted in the court of law,” said Roley, who helped lead the effort to create a collaborative agreement between the city’s police department and the community following the 2001 riots over police shootings. “We've finally seen jurors who will stand up to the letter of the law, but we also hear more people speaking out about the injustices that they have seen."

Roley also said she feels the last two years have energized younger activists, and that COVID-19 has also shone a brighter light on racial inequities, making them harder to ignore.