I Have A DNC Dream
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC
Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver Colorado
Ray: 45 years ago on August 28 in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his world famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In this speech, MLK spoke of a future where race no longer mattered and people were judged on the content of their character and not their physical attributions.
Today the official nominee for the Democratic party, Senator Barack Obama, will deliver his nomination acceptance speech to a crowd of more than 75,000 people at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado. Seeing as how the date for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was picked long before Obama secured the nomination, this is obviously history’s way of cracking a joke.
It has been said many times over that Barack Obama is the embodiment of Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream. In many ways, it’s true. Obama was educated at the nation’s top Universities. In fact, he graduated with a degree in law from Harvard University and became the first black student government president while there. His presidential campaign has made a concerted effort to incorporate all of the diversities that define America. He preaches hard work and self-responsibility as the main ingrediants to realizing the American dream. He has vowed to change the way politics work in Washington and for all his efforts, he has been rewarded with the honor of representing the Democratic part for this year’s presidential election.
Many in America suspect that Obama’s success marks the end of Jim Crow policies that have for decades kept many Black Americans and other minorities from achieving great success. It is because of Jim Crow laws that blacks were sometimes prevented from voting, getting home mortagages and establishing wealth building assets, or participating in educational opportunities that would have allowed for better chances of succeeding in this nation. For those who aren’t sure, Jim Crow laws were pure evil and serve as a permenant scar that this country will never be able to hide.
And in spite of these cruel policies, Martin Luther King Jr. was optomistic enough to dream of a better day. He recognized the ills that were holding this country back and inspired a nation to change it’s laws and it’s attitude towards race. He challenged minorities to show strength by taking action in the democratic process. He stressed peace and civility amongst all men. He kept his integrity when his enemies lashed out at him and he never gave up hope that little black boy and little white girls will one day join hands in harmony.
We have made much progress since the days of the Civil Rights movement. Blacks own more property and businesses than ever before. There are more college educated Blacks than every before. More black millionaires, politicians, lawyers, doctors, teachers, philosophers, and CEOs than at any other time in American history. Yes, we have made great progress in race and gender relations although there is still work to do.
But Barack Obama’s task will be different. Like MLK before him, he must correctly identify those factors 
which prevent America from making greater progress. He will have to propose legislation that makes sense to America without undermining our civil liberites and our chances to be prosperous. He will have to navigate through the difficult terrain that is forein policy. He will have to remain above the fray and keep the ideals first when his enemies attack him. He will have to do his best to make sure that little black boys and little white girls can afford college and have jobs waiting for them when they graduate. And like the Civil Rights marchers back in the ’60s, Americans will have to march right behind Obama to make sure that his dream of ‘change’ is actually realized.
There is no doubt that there would be no Barack Obama if there was never a Martin Luther King Jr. One is a result of the dream of another. If Barack Obama has the ability to motivate a nation to believe in his dream the way MLK did, then I greatly look forward to the reality of the next 8 years.
Filed under: Barack Obama, Black America, Politics