We celebrate our heroes for the sacrifices they have made, but few receive the heights and acclaim as the late Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Often on social media, and during various news programs, people quote him, specifically on judging people by the content of their character. This is perhaps his most quoted remark from his famous “I have a dream speech” delivered 60 years ago on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
However, as we reflect on Dr. King, his legacy, and the sacrifices he made, I often wonder if we’ve truly lived up to his dream. I think it’s fair to say we’ve made leaps and bounds toward it, but is it actualized, or can it ever be? Human beings are instinctively tribal and place themselves in categories and surround themselves with people with similar beliefs and often with similar outward appearances. Obviously, I’m talking about race, so it makes you wonder if we can ever truly become a harmonious society.
I think there are limitations, and I believe that it’s our ability to acknowledge and be aware of our biases that is a more realistic goal than achieving a perfect society void of human bias and prejudice. This isn’t to diminish the strides we’ve made since Dr. King’s era, as there have indeed been significant improvements in civil rights, societal awareness, and legal structures aimed at fostering equality. However, that’s to say that human beings will always have trouble judging a person only by the content of their character.
This generation is vastly different from my own, and certainly from that of my parents, where segregation in the South was the norm. Yet, there’s a moment of realism when you think about how close to Dr. King’s dream can any society ever truly get. Even in homogeneous societies, there are issues, albeit those are often centered around religious differences, class, or even gender. Humans’ seemingly incessant need to classify and group things, including ourselves, seems to me to be innate.
If behavior or quality isn’t foreign to a thing, in this case, us as human beings, perhaps understanding that and figuring out how to deal with it in the most extreme instances versus eradicating that which can’t ever be dissolved is a better course of action in regards to getting us closer to Dr. King’s dream, for which there were many beyond just his famous quote.
The thing that separates us from the segregation of days gone by is a shift in our beliefs about how we treat others who are different from us. Yes, there’s still racism and prejudice in the United States. Yes, there are still people who harbor and act upon these despicable ideals. However, a wide majority of us don’t. The wide majority of us believe that, while we may look at others differently, we must treat them the same, and perhaps, eventually, that which is different will begin to fade.
Dr. King’s dream wasn’t just about ending segregation or overcoming racial prejudices; it was about creating a society where every individual has the opportunity to reach their full potential. This includes addressing economic disparities, ensuring access to quality education and health care, and fostering a political environment where every voice is heard and valued. Progress in these areas requires not only policy changes but also a shift in societal attitudes. It involves recognizing the dignity and worth of every person and actively working to dismantle the systems that hinder equal opportunities.
There are still many facets of society where equal opportunity doesn’t exist. Not as overtly as in the old days, but instead through the structures that have persisted since then. These are the barriers that we need to break down in order to truly see a society that fulfills the dreams of Dr. King.
