LAUDERHILL, Fla. -- A plaque that was supposed to honor actor James Earl Jones at a Lauderhill Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is sparking feelings of embarrassment and outrage.

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A glaring error was caught before the actual presentation, but it still enraged many.

Instead of the plaque thanking James Earl Jones, it read, "Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive."

Ray shot and killed the civil rights leader in 1968. The plaque was made in Texas, and the company that made it, Merit Industries, called the mistake an honest copy error.

We have made a silly mistake -- an absolutely silly mistake," said Herbert Miller, vice president in charge of sales for the company. "We're very sorry. I guarantee you. There's no disrespect intended. The girls just totally goofed up."

"Miller said the previous plaque was made for "Ray Johnson" and the worker mixed up the two names and came up with a plaque for "James Earl Ray." He said the company hires many people from Mexico who don't speak English.

Miller also noted that the company offered to redo the plaque, but the people in Florida declined the offer and will have it fixed locally to be ready for Saturday's celebration.

Meanwhile, Jones said too much was being made of the error. He issued a statement through his publicist, David Shaul.

"I think we have much bigger things to worry about," Jones said.

Shaul confirmed that Jones will attend the celebration.

Miller, on the other hand, will continue to keep a low profile. He refused an on camera interview about the error because he said it would "fan the fires of racism" and keep the story going.