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Mainers Celebrate Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr.

Abukar Adan
/
Maine Public
Marc Mauer, a leading expert in criminal justice reform, speaks at the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Monday in Portland.

Nearly 700 people gathered at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland Monday night to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The annual celebration, now in its 37th year, brought together civil rights and social justice groups, as well as local and state leaders.

Maine U.S. independent Sen. Angus King gave the opening remarks. King urged the audience to err on the side of action, sharing how he took the day off from work at the age of 19 to join the march in Washington.

"And I sat in the branch of that tree and heard Martin Luther King deliver the 'I Have a Dream' speech. It was an unbelievable moment," King said. "But the point I want to make is it wouldn't happen if I hadn't gone. You gotta act. You gotta do something."

This year's event focused on the intersection of race, class, and justice. Keynote speaker Marc Mauer, a leading expert in criminal justice reform, says mass incarceration may be the civil rights issue of the 21st century.

"We have made undeniable progress since 1954," he said. "And yet, if we look at the prison population that figure of 100,000 African Americans behind bars has now grown to 700,000 behind bars."

Mauer highlighted the relationship between criminal justice reform and racial equity.

In addition to the remarks, the event also included musical performances, interfaith prayers and dinner.

The proceeds from the event will support the King Fellows, a youth-led racial justice group in Portland. Rachel Talbot Ross, NAACP president and a co-founder of the fellowship, says the program was established to empower young leaders of color.

"They're not future leaders, they're leaders now, but will be with us in our communities for decades for come," she said. "We're helping to support the current leaders right now."

The Martin Luther King Jr. celebration was organized by the NAACP, with support from several other local organizations.