We Have Failed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
58 years later, we have failed to turn MLK’s dream into a reality.
On April 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his notable “I Have a Dream” speech. He described that, despite Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation a century earlier, America still oppressed its African American population:
“One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech
In spite of the fact that Dr. King’s speech was given 58 years ago, segregation’s impacts still plague America.
While some may argue that America no longer has segregation, the fact is de jure segregation, or government-mandated policies and laws, continue to foster racial discrimination in this country.
As revealed by Richard Rothstein in his book, The Color of Law, the effects of de jure segregation have yet to be resolved. Rothstein explains:
“We have created a caste system in this country, with African Americans kept exploited and geographically separate by racially explicit government policies. Although most of these policies are now off the books, they have never been remedied and their effects endure.”
Rothstein reveals the government policies that barred African Americans from buying homes in predominantly-white neighborhoods. These laws forced them to reside in lower-income areas. These policies, enacted by all levels of government — local, state, and federal — created deep racial divides in neighborhoods and cities.
Today, unfortunately, we are witnessing the destructive impact of these divisions on our country.
In addition to addressing segregation itself, Dr. King also highlighted a major consequence of segregation and discrimination: poverty.
He proclaimed:
“One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech
Unfortunately, this remains true of today’s America, where racial wealth disparities remain astoundingly high. Studies show that, on average, white families’ net worth is ten times that of African American families.
According to a Pew research study that compared the money that families had in savings, the average white family had 31 days of income in savings, while the average African American family had only five days of savings.
This enormous racial gap is due in large part to the effects of de jure segregation, as equity appreciation from homes is a major source of financial assets.
Since Black people were barred from buying homes for such a long period of time in our nation’s history, they are at a severe economic disadvantage. This often keeps African Americans locked in a vicious cycle of poverty, as studies have shown that: “39% of African American children lived in poverty in 2013, the highest rate of any racial group.”
Furthermore, “42% of African Americans born into the lowest-income category remained there as adults.” This illustrates the disastrous impact of the racial wealth gap; people born into poverty often face obstacles that prevent them from increasing their socioeconomic status, forcing them to stay stuck in poverty.
Clearly, we have failed to resolve the economic injustices faced by Black people, despite the extreme level of wealth present in this country.
Along with segregation and povert, Dr. King also emphasized the need to put an end to police brutality. He proclaimed:
“We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech
Unfortunately, America has failed miserably in this area. The rate at which Black people are killed by police officers continues to remain at a consistently-high rate over the years, despite increased awareness of its occurrence.
Worse, the overwhelming majority of police officers who commit these murders of African American people, are never charged.
Today, African Americans continue to be much more likely to be killed by police or suffer from police brutality than are white people.
We have failed to resolve another one of our nation’s most critical problems.
58 years later, we have failed to attain true justice for all.
We have failed Dr. King.
And we have failed the Black people of this country.
But we can do better.
We must do better.
We need to hold our lawmakers and government officials accountable.
We need to hold police officers accountable.
And we need to stop turning a blind eye to the injustices all around us.
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his commencement speech at Oberlin College
