The Training Resource Center will produce a 60-minute video of up to six Portland area residents who participated in the August 1963 civil rights march on Washington, DC and witnessed Dr. King's legendary speech. The video will be shown at the Portland NAACP's Annual Breakfast Celebration on Martin Luther King Day 2004. The video will also be distributed to schools and libraries across Maine.
"This video will celebrate Mainers among us who are living pieces of history and walking reminders that we must treasure and protect the civil rights that all Americans enjoy," said Senator Collins. "We also honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King who believed that service was the great equalizer. As he once said, ‘everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.''"
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act. Since then, groups around the country have been working to encourage Americans to celebrate the national holiday by giving back to the community through service.
The Corporation for National & Community Service awards small competitive grants to programs around the country that promote service on and around Martin Luther King Day. This year, the Corporation will award over $490,000 in grants to 95 local organizations.