The Daily Campus

Issue date: 1/21/09 Section: Commentary

On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. and several of his supporters marched on Washington, D.C. to protest segregation and fight for civil rights. That day, King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which would be quoted by many others for many years to come, especially the memorable line, "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."

It's been more than 45 years since King's historic speech, and America has come a long way since then. Our nation now has its first black president.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January, which is usually around the time of King's birthday, Jan. 15, 1929.

If you haven't had this conversation already, you've probably thought about it: How fitting is it that President Barack Obama was inaugurated the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day?

Yesterday, America witnessed history as a black man took the presidential oath of office for the first time. Millions of people flocked to D.C. and other gathering places in other cities to watch the inauguration. What they all saw was a major step in the movement toward racial equality in our nation. Less than 60 years ago, there was still segregation in the nation's schools, transportation systems, restaurants and even water fountains. Slavery had been outlawed over 100 years prior, and the Fifteenth Amendment was passed to finally allow black men to vote, but black Americans still had to face discrimination and obstacles because of the color of their skin. Change has taken a long time to come around, and change was the key word in Obama's campaign. America has now seen a big kind of change, and the nation has progressed a great deal since its days of legal slavery and subsequent segregation. America has come a long way.

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath," Obama said in his inaugural address.

While racism and hatred still exists in our nation, Americans have taken a major step toward true equality for all. So, congratulations, President Obama. Congratulations, Martin Luther King, Jr., and congratulations, everyone who helped along the way.

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