The Dreams of Dr. King

8 Thoughts About the Election of Barack Obama #7

You're heard the same thing over and over again during coverage of the inauguration: President Obama is the realization of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. While I have no doubt that the election of our first African-American President would have been an endless support of pride for Dr. King, I take a look around our country right now and I don't believe Dr. King would think his work has been completed. I certainly don't see this election as the "death of racism" that many conservatives want to claim.

Of course, it isn't possible to understate the accomplishment of having elected an African-American man to the most powerful position in all the world. You can't understate the continued shock of seeing this beautiful black family as our first family. Despite his popularity at the time, I thought closet racism among the Democrats would prevent his getting the nomination and after that, I thought the same closet racism would prevent his winning the Presidency. It makes me proud of my country that I was wrong.

Even better was the increasing popularity of Obama during the transition. He's that rare politician that people like more the more they see of him. Every day that he spends in the limelight, he has the ability to change the attitudes and the prejudices of his fellow Americans. We've seen it at his rallies: he brings black and white together in common purpose.

Racism remains institutionalized in this country. We are generations away from fixing this problem. Obama, however, continues the work of Dr. King by his very existence in the highest office in the land. He continues his work by his support of progressive politics. He is not the realization of Dr. King's dreams, and he knows that. He represents, however, yet another advancement of that dream. President Barack Obama would not have been possible without the work of Dr. King. Imagine what the work of President Obama will inspire out of the next generation, black and white.