Martin Luther King’s “dream” remains unfulfilled in America 60 years later

Marking the 60th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom on Washington, Martin Luther King called for civil rights for African-American citizens in his famous “I have a dream” (“I have a dream, in Portuguese”) speech. In a Pew Research Center survey, 52% of respondents believe efforts to ensure equality for all regardless of race or ethnicity do not go far enough, while 20% say they go too far and 27% say they go too far. It went perfectly.

A sign of hope for a change in this trend is that a majority (58%) of those who say efforts to ensure equality are insufficient think racial equality is unlikely in their lifetime. A tank headquartered in Washington.

Many of those polled argue that various systems need to be completely restructured to ensure equality. The prison system topped the list, with 44% of the group saying it needed a complete overhaul. A third say the same about the police (38%) and the political system (37%).

Focusing on the legacy of King, who was assassinated in April 1968, 47% of Americans agreed that the activist had a very positive impact on the country, and 38% agreed that their own views on racial equality influenced King a great deal or fairly. legacy

Additionally, 60% say they’ve heard or read a lot about the “I Have a Dream” text. 80% of black adults agree, compared to 60% of white adults, 49% of Hispanic adults and 41% of Asian adults.

For the survey, the Pew Research Center interviewed 5,073 adults in the United States between April 10 and 16 this year.

An event planned to mark the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington is expected to draw thousands of people to the same spot where Martin Luther King Jr. addressed the event 60 years ago.

King’s eldest son, Martin Luther King III, along with other civil rights leaders, stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and emphasized that the gathering was not a commemoration, but a continuation of the work of his parents and leaders before him. Struggle for social justice and civil rights.

“Join us on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as we take the battle for our nation’s soul to the nation’s capital,” King III pleaded on social media.

A nonviolent protest on August 28, 1963 drew some 250,000 people to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and provided the impetus for Congress to pass historic civil rights and voting rights legislation in the years that followed.

This year’s celebration comes at a difficult time in American history, following the erosion of voting rights across the country, affirmative action in college admissions and the Supreme Court’s recent repeal of abortion rights.

It takes place at a time when threats of political violence and hatred against people of colour, Jews and members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community are on the rise.

Organizers of Saturday’s march in Washington estimated 75,000 people, according to US media reports based on permits issued by the National Park Service.

Nearly 300 buses will carry people from states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as more than 1,000 students from at least two dozen historically black colleges and universities, a spokesman for the march told The Washington Post.