“I have a dream… I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It has been fifty years since the estimated 250,000 people gathered in our nation’s capitol for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in American history. It was on this day, August 28, 1963, that Dr. King gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. King’s powerful words served as a test to the American people, challenging them to live up to the principles “rooted in the American dream.”

This past week, the Pine Crest community held an assembly to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. Dr. Marshall, an actual participant of the March, was at the forefront of the special visitors who spoke at the assembly, as well as Dr. White, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, and Dr. Zelden, a professor at Nova Southeastern University. The gathering focused on the impact that the March on Washington and Dr. King’s monumental speech had on issues of equality fifty years ago. One member of the senior class, Hayley Tartell, commented, “The assembly demonstrated how wonderful a man and leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was and how sorely missed he is now.”

While the assembly certainly did praise the historic day in 1963, the panel of speakers decided to shift their focus to the present . Shortly after it was posed, the question struck a moment of thoughtful silence in the ICI auditorium, causing many to wonder-how much has our nation’s perspective on equality changed since Dr. King gave his speech fifty years ago?

The obvious answer to the question is that our nation has certainly moved beyond the issues of racial equality over the years: the desegregation laws in the South have long ceased to exist, overt racism is virtually non-existent beyond the KKK, and we have most recently elected Barack Obama, our nation’s first African American president. However, when we look deeper into the issue, it is evident that racism still lurks in our country. As Dr. Zelden and Dr. White pointed out, even though our country has moved beyond overt racism and standard views of inequality, our country still struggles to provide equal opportunity for all Americans. After all, it was not only the African American that Dr. King was addressing in his speech but rather every human being. “The speakers made me reevaluate my opinion on how far civil rights have come,” added Brandon Sack, another member of the Senior class. “While overt racism may be less common, subtle socioeconomic differences between the races are clearly still a major problem.”

“You are the future,” Dr. Marshall wisely concluded, “you young people are the future of this country.” His wise words resonated around the auditorium. It is now in our hands to address the lingering issue of equal opportunity. When asked how we as students could specifically work towards change, Dr. Smith replied, “All of us have a conscious decision to make.” Dr. Smith’s decision entails recognizing that everyone has certain privileges and should help to spread them around. In addition, Dr. Zelden added, “We can’t pass rules that make it harder to vote. Voting should be a civil right for all of us. Without that right, you are helpless.”

While these are just a few suggestions, there are many ways we can work towards the pursuit of equal opportunity. Fifty years since his speech, it is obvious that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has not yet been completely fulfilled. Over time our country has certainly changed, but we have not improved enough. Change lies in the future of our country. Change lies in the hands of you, Pine Crest. Change is imminent, but how will you try to make a difference?

Sources:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/marchonwashington.html

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-redford-produced-pbs-doc-577791