History Made Every Day™

KING'S LEGACY

Integrated schools and public transportation, a nation in which all citizens have the right to vote, serve on juries, hold elected office and own a home. These things are a fundamental part of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. Many younger Americans take such freedoms for granted and believe that government-sanctioned discrimination is ancient history. In fact, the civil rights movement and the changes brought about by Dr. King and other activists occurred less than 50 years ago, within the lifetime of many living Americans.

Thanks to Dr. King's activism and vision, America in 2008 looks far different than it did five decades ago. Before the civil rights movement of the mid-1950s and 1960s, education, employment and housing opportunities for most African Americans were limited and segregation--from drinking fountains to diners to schools to entire neighborhoods--was a way of life for many. Today, blacks hold positions of power and prominence in virtually every aspect of American society, including politics, business, academics, medicine, sports and entertainment. One of the current leading candidates for the U.S. presidency, Barack Obama, is African-American, and one of the most successful and influential--if not the most influential--women in the nation is Oprah Winfrey, who grew up poor in the American South. The U.S. has an African-American Supreme Court justice--Clarence Thomas--and a black secretary of state--Condoleeza Rice. The list of black CEOs includes Kenneth Chenault, head of American Express, and Clarence Otis, who leads Darden Restaurants, which operates over 1,700 restaurants, including Red Lobster and Olive Garden. A black woman, Dr. Ruth Simmons, is president of Brown University and the world's highest-paid professional athlete is golfer Tiger Woods.

However, despite the progress that has been made, disparities continue to exist between blacks (and other minorities) and whites in America. According to a 2007 NPR report: "While incomes have increased among both black and white families in the past three decades--mainly because more women are in the work force--the gain is greater among whites. In 2004, a typical black family had an income that was 58 percent of a typical white family's." Additionally, disproportionate rates of poverty and violence have kept the American Dream out of reach for many African Americans. The Associated Press reported in 2007 that "More than three times as many black people live in prison cells as in college dorms."

Although deep challenges and prejudices persist in this country, King's work reminds us that positive change is always possible. In the end, Dr. King's work transcended race. He fought for all Americans who were marginalized by poverty, discrimination and injustice. Today, 40 years after an assassin's bullet cut short Dr. King's life, his words and actions continue to inspire Americans of all colors.