Editorial: "A dream – nearly realized" (Printed Jan. 25, 2008)
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and
frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply
rooted in the American dream. – Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday marked Martin Luther King Day, now officially celebrated in all 50 states across the nation.
What was once an event full of parades, classroom discussions and media coverage saturated with the civil rights leader’s impassioned “I Have A Dream” speech – has in recent years turned into little more than a day off from work or school.
In Portland – and mirrored in just a few area communities – a small crowd gathered to commemorate the slain leader, who was assassinated 40 years ago this April. But the black and white media clips that once ran on all daytime television and night programs were dramatically limited compared to those in years past.
But despite of the lack of recognition – or perhaps because of it – King’s dream seemed more ensconced in reality Monday.
The 1960s black and white coverage distances itself from King’s dream. The white faces seemed too bright, too white while the darker faces seem that much darker – that much more different. Now, especially in the wake of the political saturation in the race for president, the color that jumps from the screen is jumbled.
An African American man is running for president. And, a woman is running against him. The religious backgrounds of their fellow candidates are wide-ranging. They are all living their own version of the “American dream,” while their backers, standing side-by-side with their own medley of backgrounds and ethnicities – many joining hands and walking together as sisters and brothers per King’s dream – have their own.
The lack of attention paid to King Monday was a sign of the changes since his death – as well as a sign of things to come in the future. More important than listening to his legacy – is living his legacy.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream today.”
And when we stop hearing those words it will finally be a dream realized.
Monday marked Martin Luther King Day, now officially celebrated in all 50 states across the nation.
What was once an event full of parades, classroom discussions and media coverage saturated with the civil rights leader’s impassioned “I Have A Dream” speech – has in recent years turned into little more than a day off from work or school.
In Portland – and mirrored in just a few area communities – a small crowd gathered to commemorate the slain leader, who was assassinated 40 years ago this April. But the black and white media clips that once ran on all daytime television and night programs were dramatically limited compared to those in years past.
But despite of the lack of recognition – or perhaps because of it – King’s dream seemed more ensconced in reality Monday.
The 1960s black and white coverage distances itself from King’s dream. The white faces seemed too bright, too white while the darker faces seem that much darker – that much more different. Now, especially in the wake of the political saturation in the race for president, the color that jumps from the screen is jumbled.
An African American man is running for president. And, a woman is running against him. The religious backgrounds of their fellow candidates are wide-ranging. They are all living their own version of the “American dream,” while their backers, standing side-by-side with their own medley of backgrounds and ethnicities – many joining hands and walking together as sisters and brothers per King’s dream – have their own.
The lack of attention paid to King Monday was a sign of the changes since his death – as well as a sign of things to come in the future. More important than listening to his legacy – is living his legacy.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream today.”
And when we stop hearing those words it will finally be a dream realized.
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