Beyond the Dream

It has been fifty years since the March on Washington when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in front and on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  This event occurred on Wednesday, August 28, 1963.  It has been estimated that 200-300,000 people participated in that march and stood on the National Mall to hear Dr. King.  

This march included people from all corners of American society, races, ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic status.  The march itself was more than just making a few speeches, statements and holding signs; it was reflective of a national movement for equal rights in every aspect of American society. This march is widely credited with helping to pass the Civil Rights Acts (1964) and the Voting Rights Act in 1965.  

The “I Have a Dream” speech has become one of the most profound and moving public speeches in American History and the world.  The speech provided a vision and embellishes the hopes of African Americans and other minority groups who have been locked out of the main stream of business, politics and social change.     

Since that time and until now the speech continues to be a manifesto for a movement that has evolved over the decades in numerous ways.  Even though some progress has been made on various fronts over the past 50 years, there is still much work to be done.  Everyone has not enjoyed the benefits, freedoms and opportunities that were spoken of by Dr. King on that day.   For many in the African American community are dealing with breakdowns in the family, rising poverty rates, low wage jobs, high incarceration rates, drop outs, no affordable health care, drug abuse, mental health issues and poor housing.   

 
In a real sense the speech continues to point the way, provide inspiration and serve as a reminder that what we are seeking is within reach.  Our struggles help us to become a little stronger and wiser, regardless of the odds.  Even though the cracks in modern life are enormous, the essence of the speech continues to spark considerable debate and provides a pathway to more promising and brighter days.   I hope that the dream will never die during my generation and that the new emerging generations will find the courage to continue the work in making the dream a reality for all.