The plan to erect a statue commemorating Muhammad Ali’s boxing match in Lewiston is an admirable endeavor. Ali was a world class athlete, and his appearance here, however brief, was notable.

The statue will also recognize the contribution of a racial minority to American and local history, and serve as an example for our community members of what one can accomplish with effort and dedication.

Since the heyday of textile and shoe manufacturing Lewiston and Auburn have struggled with their identities, as well as economically. Many admirable efforts have contributed to the emerging redefinition of our region: The renovation of historic buildings, the balloon and myriad other festivals, the institution of the art walk, the opening of specialty restaurants, and construction of the Riverwalk.

And yet, Lewiston and Auburn are the poor stepchildren of Portland; Portland has something that Lewiston and Auburn do not, at least not generally — a certain esprit de corp.

Portland has the Portland History Docent program, run collaboratively by the major historical organizations each winter. Participants attend Portland history briefings and tours one morning a week for a number of weeks, and commit to volunteer with one venue for a year. From this program Portland not only educates its populace on what is special about Portland, it also trains a volunteer corps that can spread the word among schoolchildren, visitors, and the population at large.

Portland promotes itself very effectively this way. Its people have a sense of who they are.

Lewiston and Auburn could stand to build and institutionalize a similar such image building dynamic here. But I don’t see the Androscoggin Historical Society, the Maine Mill, the Women’s Literary Union, Norlands, LA Arts, Bates College, or anybody else collaborating on such an institution here, and I don’t see our schoolchildren visiting local historical points en masse, either, and it is a shame.

The other thing we don’t do here is celebrate our local people and families who make it big on the national or international level. Where is the statue or ballfield dedicated to Bill Carrigan, the Lewiston boy who not only played for the Red Sox, but led the team as manager to two consecutive World Series championships? They don’t exist.

Where is the statue of Yvon Chouinard, the Lewiston-born boy who pioneered the sport of mountaineering and established two highly successful corporations: Chouinard Equipment and Patagonia? It doesn’t exist.

Where is the statue of Patrick Dempsey, the actor and philanthropist, whose family was historically based in Lewiston? It doesn’t exist.

Where is the statue to Olympia Snowe, a longtime U.S. senator from Maine, who graduated from Edward Little High School? It doesn’t exist.

Where is the statue to Holman Day — Auburn newspaperman, poet, and nationally syndicated columnist? It doesn’t exist.

Yes, these people are all white, and most of them are men; but they represent the greatest achievers of our community. And the commemoration and celebration of their achievements — the telling of their stories — needs to be institutionalized in our communities.

These people lived in Lewiston and Auburn full-time, not for just one night. If we don’t tell our own stories of greatness, who will?

We have people in local organizations and on our city and regional staffs who could and should be doing this work — why have they not been tasked, or self-tasked to do so?

Economic development begins at home.

John Henderson is a historian and educator living in Auburn. He is the author of “Na Eireannaigh Na HAndroscoggin: The Irish of the Androscoggin” and “Early McCarthy Families of Co. Androscoggin, Maine.”