Georgia Davis Powers' funeral turned into a celebration of a life that broke down barriers as a civil-rights icon and the first African-American woman elected to the Kentucky Senate.
The Courier-Journal reports the celebration Friday in Louisville included the reading of a letter from President Barack Obama and remembrances from religious leaders.
Powers died last Saturday at the age of 92.
Among those attending were U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.
She helped organize civil rights marches in Kentucky, including the 1964 march in Frankfort to bring attention to the need for a law prohibiting discrimination in housing.
Powers served 21 years in the state Senate, fighting for African-Americans, women, the poor, the disabled, the disenfranchised.
