St. Luke AME Church, 900 N.Y., will have a public celebration today at to acknowledge efforts to raise money to restore the church.

The event, from noon to 3 p.m., will feature food and music from the St. Luke/St. James Chorale and the Blue Orleans Band. A tour of the church will be given at 2 p.m.

St. Luke has strong historical links to poet Langston Hughes and the struggle for racial equality.

Members of the church and the Lawrence Preservation Alliance joined last year to raise funds to preserve the church, which was built in 1910. In the past year, the group has secured more than $135,000 from several sources.

“We want the community to visit us here in East Lawrence and enjoy some food, music and good company,” said the Rev. Verdell Taylor, church pastor, above. “This building and this institution are American landmarks.”

The church is being considered by federal officials for addition to the National Register of Historic Places.