I HAVE A DREAM

1963 was a half century ago.  In January, George Wallace became governor of Alabama, and defiantly proclaimed at his inaugural:

  Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever.

In April, Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for "parading without a permit."

In June, John F. Kennedy promised a Civil Rights Bill, and also gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in West Berlin.  This actually was a blunder, for "Ich bin ein Berliner" more accurately means "I am a jelly doughnut."  He should have said "Ich bin Berliner."

On August 28 MLK delivered his I Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before 250,000 protestors.

In September of 1963 George Wallace made the cover of Time magazine:

On November 22 JFK (46 years old) was assassinated.  On the 24th, Lee Harvey Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby. MLK was not assassinated until 1968 at the age of 39.

Today, 100,000 marchers gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial:

Just above, Martin Luther King III says to the crowd:

  We ain't going to let nobody turn us around.  We're going to keep marching down to freedom land....  I know that Daddy is smiling up above knowing that your presence here today will assure the fulfillment of his dream.

Has there been progress?  According to Pew, 48% of white respondents and 43% of Hispanics said there has been a lot of progress toward equality...but only 32% of blacks agreed.  Yet, 44% of whites, 48% of Hispanics abd 79% of blacks said much more needs to be done. Compared to 50 years ago the difference in the rates of home ownership and poverty between black and white has remained the same, but the income gap has widened.

In an AP-NORC poll, though, only 46% of whites said that their family had a good chance of improving their living standard, while 71% of blacks and 73% of Hispanics expressed optimism for an improved life.

On December 26 of 1963 the Beatles released "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There," kicking of international beatlemania."

1963 was also memorable for the first Coke diet drink, Tab, the first James Bond film, Dr. No, NASA launching of the first geostationary satellite, appearance of the first push button phone and the beginning of the Vietnam War.

Two particularly successful "Blacks" are President Barack Obama and golfer Tiger Woods.  However, Obama is half White and Woods is half Asian.  Consider them as gray or platinum or gold, indicative of the state of King's dream.  Our Nation is half-way there.

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