King's dream is unfulfilled, but progress has been made

As we mark the 40th anniversary today of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., it is appropriate to take stock of how far we have come as a nation, and the distance we will have to go.
Any objective analysis of America today will conclude that progress has been made in tearing down the barriers that separated whites from blacks for so long. Indeed, it was the racial divide that brought forth the civil rights movement of the 1960s and events such as the march on Washington and demonstrations in Birmingham and Selma.
But while the signs of progress are all around, there still are hurdles blacks must clear. Polls consistently show that blacks and other minorities have a deep distrust of the criminal justice system, perceive employment opportunities as unequal and view the idea of equal housing with a jaundiced eye.
So long as a significant number of Americans still believe that King's dream of a country where people are judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin will never come true, it means there's work to be done -- by all of us.
Criminal justice
So long as black males view the criminal justice system with suspicion, it means that legislators, judges, prosecutors and the police have a responsibility to demonstrate that Lady Justice is more than just a symbol.
And so long as blacks and other minorities feel like second-class citizens when it comes to employment and housing, it means that federal laws banning discrimination need to be enforced vigorously.
The late Dr. King, a Baptist preacher, was this nation's social conscience not because he advocated violence but because he believed that change could come through peaceful demonstrations.
The march on Washington and the speech at the Lincoln Memorial epitomized the civil rights leader's campaign. Even though thousands of men, women and children of all races and religions had gathered between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Memorial, there was no major trouble. That's because of the message imparted by King through his speech.
" ... there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
"We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone."
Words to live by.