The Oregon AFSCME Diversity Committee is sponsoring a special viewing of the movie "At The River I Stand," a powerful documentary on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. The event will be held on Monday, Jan. 21 — MLK Day in Oregon — from 2 to 4 p.m.

King, who was 39 at the time, was well into his civil rights career when he traveled to Memphis in late March 1968 to support the largely African-American members of AFSCME Local 1733, who were on strike for better and more equitable wages. The King-led "March on Washington" that features his signatory "I Have A Dream" speech had come 4 ½ years earlier. He had been in Memphis for about a week, participating in a number of events supporting Local 1733, when he was assassinated by James Earl Ray the evening of April 4. "At The River I Stand" delves into King's efforts in Memphis.

The Diversity Committee will provide popcorn and beverages at the screening. Participants are asked to bring canned food donations for the Oregon Food Bank. The Portland office is located at 6025 E. Burnside, on the corner of 60^th and Burnside.

The Diversity Committee also has tentative plans for a Salem showing on Jan. 27. You can e-mail Diversity Committee Chair Tina Turner-Morfitt for more information; this article will be updated when that information becomes available. A PDF flier detailing the Portland showing is attached to this article.