I Have a Dream – Martin Luther King Jr.

“So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood…I have a dream that my four little children will 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. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day…little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.” Martin Luther King Jr. August 28^th 1963

It came to my attention that Monday August 28^th marks the 60^th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. giving his “I Have a Dream” speech. Somehow it seems appropriate to commemorate this event. I was about 8 years old when this speech was made. Living in a largely lower middle-class white neighborhood, civil rights and race consciousness were not a big part of my life. As I grew older, due to people like King, I became more aware of the problems he was trying to overcome. .  

In the 70’s when I reached high school, the civil rights movement was already being taught as history. We were taught that King’s vision prevailed, and while racism had not been eradicated, the lives of Black American’s were ostensibly  improving, perhaps because of things like the ‘War on Poverty’, ‘Affirmative Action’ and greater awareness of the evils of racism. King was largely credited for spearheading the campaigns that made these things possible. For his efforts, he was given a Nobel Peace Prize. By the early 80s, Martin Luther King Jr. was being posthumously honored throughout the nation. (sadly, he was assassinated in 1968.) A national holiday was created and streets have been re-named across the nation to honor him. Such was the veneration his legacy generated.

Martin Luther King Jr. presented a vision of breaking down barriers to economic, racial and societal equality. He knew it would take time, and called for patience and perseverance on the part of his audience to peacefully bring about change. King thought color-blindness was an achievable and worthwhile goal. He dreamed of a world where people would be judged by their character, rather than their skin color.

As I grew into adulthood, and particularly in the 90s and beyond, it seemed like there truly was more Black prosperity, judging by the people I saw at the mall, on the city streets and at the office. Inter-racial marriage hardly concerned anyone and racial tension seemed to be receding. Granting that there are still enclaves of severe Black poverty, particularly in inner-city areas that need attention, there still seemed to be no reason to think that America would return to the bad-old-days. King’s vision looked to be putting down strong roots, leading America beyond the dark years of slavery, segregation and state sponsored racism.

How things have changed. It is very sad to see that in recent years people have risen in power who are dredging around in the past, stirring up tribal sentiment based on race, instead of embracing the forward movement our culture has made in the last several decades. As part of this terrible activity, the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. is being downplayed, covered up, and soiled because the prominent ideology cannot stand in the light of King’s strength, wisdom and vision. Was the man perfect? Of course not.  Do I agree with everything he said? No, I don’t. But I believe that his contribution to advancing American culture is undeniable and worth remembering. Happily, it seems that there are still some who are willing to acknowledge the contribution he made to equality and civil rights in America and see fit to continue to honor his memory. My thanks to those people.

If you haven’t heard or read some of King’s speeches or letters, I recommend taking a few minutes to find some and partake.  Most are available on-line. Consider “Our God is Marching On”, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” or the subject of this post, “I Have a Dream”. Perhaps you’ll have an experience such as I described in “It’s About Time“.