FARMINGTON – People believe there has been progress since the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963, that led to the Civil Rights Act.

But more needs to be done.

The voice of King sounded throughout the G.H. Bass Center; the man himself pictured on the screen Monday, as he spoke the words of that famous speech during a civil rights march on Aug. 28, 1963.

The black activist stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington surrounded predominately by black people, as seen in the MPI Media Group DVD recording.

His dream was to have people of all color to treated equal throughout their lives, and that included his four children who he hoped would “one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the civil rights activist’s slaying. He was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and died on April 4, 1968.

Dozens of people gathered Monday at the Ben Franklin Center in Franklin Memorial Hospital to celebrate King’s accomplishments during the civil rights movement.

Rev. Marriott Churchill spoke about marching on Capital Hill 47 years ago with King.

“We were not sure if we would live or die. … We laid our lives down for the cause of human rights,” Churchill, pastor of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Farmington, said.

It was a remarkable time to be alive, she said.

One of the greatest lessons King gave them that day, she said, was people questioning where their passion was and whether it was strong enough to march for it.

Voices rose in song and prayer during Monday’s service as those gathered also gifted the Homeless Coalition with an offering to help raise funds for a $5,000 matching grant for the homeless.

Following the service, Rina Bardo of Wilton said there has been progress since King’s speech that day.

“It’s hard to believe black people could not vote as recently as early ’60s. That’s pretty appalling,” Bardo said.

Bob Healy of New Vineyard agreed there has been some progress.

“We’ve made certain progress but we’ve developed other problems,” Healy said. “I don’t think the nation is as united as we would like to have been.”