A celebration of black history in Troy, just days after City Councilman Mark McGrath admitted he used racist language in an old voicemail and stepped down.

People gathered Saturday at the Troy Boys and Girls Club. 

The Martin Luther King celebration was originally slated for the weekend of the civil rights leader's birthday, but it was pushed back due to weather. The event featured speakers, dancers, live music, and food. 

Black leaders say former Councilman McGrath's use of slurs in that voicemail, first brought to light by Times Union, harmed people in their community.

"They were very hurtful words that came from my ex-councilman, but what we did is we came together as a community, and from my understanding he did not want to come to last weekend's council meeting because he did not want to see the community standup. So it was the power of the people that forced him to resign," said Deacon Jerry Ford, United Ordained Church.

The City Council's Democratic majority wants to select and vote on a replacement candidate by next month.