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Monday, January 21, 2008 12:06 AM Obama affirms King's dream America celebrates Martin Luther King Day 2008 in a year when racial tensions still exist but also when an African-American is a serious contender for his party's nomination for president of the United States. Barack Obama's victory in the (95 percent white) Iowa caucuses -- and his second-place finish in the New Hampshire primaries -- could not have been imagined 40 years ago, when King was martyred in Memphis. But Obama, who has not emphasized race in his campaign, is a living testimony to America's progress in race relations. He has attracted supporters of all races, not because of his race but because of the strength of his ideas and his hopeful rhetoric. Voters are judging Obama not on the color of his skin but on the content of his character, the dream that King hoped for his own children in his most famous speech. Unlike earlier black candidates and despite his African name, Obama has a real chance of winning the presidency. He has collected scores of key endorsements, including the backing of 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry. Obama's progress, despite all its symbolism, is not an indication that 400 years of racial history have been wiped away. America still bears the burden of slavery and segregation, and the ugly leprosy of racism, both overt and subtle, occasionally breaks out. This holiday is a good time to remember King's nonviolent and egalitarian principles. Too often, we have seen communities divide along racial lines -- in Jena, La., for example, or Wilson, N.C. Despite the transforming progress we have made, it takes only a little heat for race to come bubbling to the surface. In his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, King spoke of America's promise of "unalienable rights" as a bad check for black Americans. But he added, "we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt." The passage of civil rights and voting rights legislation and, more important, the changed attitudes of conscientious Americans have shown that justice is not bankrupt. In 45 years, King's dream has become more of a reality, though still imperfect. It is a dream and a feat for all Americans to share. Should Barack Obama be elected president in November, his achievement will honor King's daring suffering and his inspiring rhetoric, but it will honor all Americans who have taken King's principles to heart. |
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