Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 21, 2013 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Today we remember the perseverance, passion, and dream of one our nation’s greatest advocates for liberty and equality under the law: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He fought tirelessly to end segregation and discrimination, and changed the course of history in the process.

In his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Dr. King proclaimed to a crowd of thousands, his hope that his children would “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.”  Those words inspired his contemporaries and they continue to inspire us fifty years later.

Unfortunately, Dr. King’s dream has not yet been realized — many laws and policies continue to judge individuals not by their character, but by their skin color.  I wonder what Dr. King would think about granting race-based advantages to certain groups in university admissions or construction contacts.  Would he be shocked to learn that voter-approved constitutional initiatives to end racial classifications in public contracting, education, and employment are under legal attack?  Or that in some schools, students’ scholastic goals in math and reading are assigned by race?

To truly honor Dr. King’s memory, we must remember that his dream was about more than ending segregation, it was about treating one another, not simply as members of a racial group, but as individuals.  That principle guides PLF in its fight for freedom and equality for all.