t r u t h o u t | Perspective
On August 28, 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the greatest speeches ever - what has now
become known as the "I Have a Dream" speech. Forty-five years later to the very day, Senator Barack Hussein Obama became
the first African-American to accept the presidential nomination of a major political party in America.
On this day, many see Senator Obama's historic accomplishment as evidence of the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream. "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!" According to The New York Times, Dr. King's daughter, Bernice King, declared that Senator Obama's nomination is
part of her father's dream, citing Obama's nomination as, "the acceptance of a Democratic presidential nominee, decided
not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character." This is, in fact, evidence that America has made
progress on the long and difficult road toward racial tolerance and acceptance. However, there are still many miles left
to travel.
The interesting paradox of Senator Obama's historic nomination and Dr. King's speech is that while Democratic candidate
Obama is the beneficiary and living evidence of the realization of the "dream," President Obama will have to address the
current realities of systemic racism and personal prejudice that have resulted in continued disparity between African-
Americans and Euro-Americans in much the same way as they did in 1963.
The "dream" reference actually comes toward the end of the speech. As Dr. King was close to ending his nine-minute
delivery, the great gospel singer Ms. Mahalia Jackson was standing behind him and said, "... tell them about the dream
Martin ... tell them about the dream...." With that prompting, Dr. King left the prepared text and began, "... so even
though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream." It's important to understand that he spoke
of the dream in the context of a horrific reality for "Negroes" and the poor. What makes the "dream" significant is its
juxtaposition against America's reality, failures and systemic oppression of its own citizens.
Dr. King opened the speech with scathing indictments of America. "... we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is
still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land." That was no dream;
that was the reality for Negroes in 1963 and a clear indictment of the social conditions in America at that time.
Unfortunately, in 2008 those social conditions continue to exist for too many Americans.
Systemic racism manifests itself today as a reality for children who languish in inner-city schools, resulting in
excessive high school dropout rates, parents who lose their jobs and their homes, and those unjustly incarcerated in
American jails and prisons. In 2008, African-American men are incarcerated at a rathe rate of Euro-Americans; an
African-American family's income is little more than half that of a similar Euro-American family's income, and
African-Americans continue to deal with "Driving While Black" and imbalances in health care.
Personal prejudice and hatred are also still alive and well and living in America. While many marveled and wept during
Senator Obama's historic acceptance speech, three men had been arrested two days before in an alleged plot to kill
Senator Obama. According to investigators, they had expressed plans to shoot him from a high sniper position at the
Invesco Field at Mile High stadium using a "rifle - sighted at 750 yards" simply because they felt that a black man
should not hold elected office. Various guns and equipment were seized by the police in the arrest of Tharin Robert
Gartrell, 28; Nathan Johnson, 32, and Shawn Robert Adolf, 33. Also, investigators state, the men may have ties to Sons
of Silence, an outlaw biker group, and are believed to have connections with white supremacists.
Fortunately, prosecutors insist that Senator Obama was not in any real danger from the three individuals. Senator Obama
has been under heightened Secret Service protection since May of last year after a series of credible death threats were
received by authorities. These arrests and threats are evidence of the personal hatred that still exists in the hearts
and minds of more Americans than we care to count.
In his acceptance speech, Senator Obama told America that the time for change is now and, "What the nay-sayers don't
understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you." He went on to say, "Change happens
because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics
for a new time."
Senator Obama is correct. The time for change is now, and change is not easy. It can make people very uncomfortable,
especially when the agent of change is an African-American man. Senator Obama is also correct when he says that this
election is not about him, it's about what he represents and, unfortunately, that continues to make some people in
America very uncomfortable.
According to July's CBS/New York Times poll, 26 percent of Euro-Americans said they have been victims of
discrimination. Twenty-seven percent said too much has been made of the problems facing African-American people.
Twenty-four percent said the country isn't ready to elect an African-American president. Five percent of Euro-American
voters acknowledged that they, personally, would not vote for an African-American candidate.
These sentiments were reflected in the exit polls in the Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey Democratic primaries as
well. According to Slate, "In the Pennsylvania primary, one in six white voters told exit pollsters race was a factor in
his or her decision. Seventy-five percent of those people voted for Clinton.... Twelve percent of the Pennsylvania
primary electorate acknowledged that it didn't vote for Barack Obama in part because he is African-American."
As America moves forward from its historic night, forty-five years after Dr. King told us about his dream, we have much
to celebrate. Senator Barack Obama is evidence of the fact that progress has been made. He is a powerful symbol of what
America can be. However, America must not get lost in the symbolism; the reality is still too stark.
As he closed his speech, Obama said, "America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices,
and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past." He's correct;
the work will not be easy and the toughest choice for too many Americans will be a choice based on prejudice, bigotry
and hatred instead of policy, competence and vision. Can Americans look into the depths of their hearts, search worn-out
ideas and politics of the past? Can we live up to the very founding principles of this great nation?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If so, Senator Barack Hussein Obama has the same chance as Senator John Sidney McCain III to become the 44th president
of the United States.
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Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III is the producer/host of the nationally broadcast call-in talk radio program "On With Leon" on XM
Satellite Radio Channel 169, and a teaching associate in the Department of Political Science at Howard University in
Washington, DC. Go to www.wilmerleon.com or email: wjl3us@yahoo.com.