Remembering MLK: Is This The America He Dreamed Of?

As my parents were watching TV today, a headline flashed across the screen: “MLK’s Dream Achieved.” I was taken aback by the statement— his dream was achieved? Certainly America is less segregated than it was back in 1963, but was this really the America he dreamed of? Anti-discrimination laws have been put in place and segregation has been outlawed. We even elected our first black president in 2008! These are truly wonderful achievements, and certainly what Martin Luther King Jr. strived for, but is this all that he dreamed of? Has his dream truly been achieved?

There’s one particular line from MLK’s speech that is repeated often and sticks in my mind: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” I've read that line over and over, and each time all I can think is “We still don’t have that in America.” With every push for true equality, activists are met with forceful resistance from the other side. During the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, police met the peaceful protesters with tear gas and guns— the same way I’m sure they would’ve reacted in 1963. Sure, laws have been changed, but minds and hearts clearly haven’t.

Yes, anti-discrimination laws have been put in place, but companies still refuse to hire people because their names sound “too ghetto,” aka black. Yes, segregation has been outlawed along with redlining, but many towns and schools are still affected by the segregated areas. Schools aren’t technically segregated, but most middle-class districts have a mainly white population and most poor districts have a mainly black population. Yes, we elected our first black president in 2008, but in 2016 we put a white-supremacist in office. That’s like taking one step forward and ten steps back. How could MLK’s dream be achieved if innocent black men are still slaughtered in the streets for nothing more than the color of their skin?

It’s been made very clear that a terrifyingly large portion of the American population still harbors ill will against people of color. Despite 93% of the Black Lives Matter protests being peaceful, the majority of them were met with violence from the police. The protests that did turn violent were heavily publicized. Supporters of BLM started facing serious backlash from conservatives who brought back the phrase “blue lives matter” even though the police were causing most of the violence. Police in riot gear even tear gassed an entire crowd at a violin vigil for Elijah McClain, a 23 year old black man who passed away after being put in a coma by a police chokehold.

However, when presented with a much more violent and dangerous situation, the police proved that they can act in a more peaceful manner. White rioters stormed the Capital and they were met not with weapons drawn, but only with shields. Even as they committed acts of violence, the police continued to stand on the sidelines. Millions of young people of color watched that day, and they all learned a very important lesson that day: to America, only white lives matter. If instead of Trump rioters they had been Black Lives Matter protesters, not only would they have been met with violence, but it’s likely that many of them would have been killed.

It’s quite clear that this is not the “justice for all” that our Constitution speaks of. There is no fixing a system that is corrupt. Our current police system must be abolished. Officers should undergo years of training and mental evaluations before they can get their hands on a gun, but that’s another topic for another time. The first step towards justice is acknowledging that there is injustice. While injustice exists in America, Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has not been achieved.