" I Have A Dream" Speech..The Impact Then and Now

August 28th, 1968...Dr.Martin Luther King delivered one of the most powerful speeches in modern day history, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the, " March On Washington", for jobs and freedom. This was a defining moment in the civil rights movement. He spoke of his desire for a future that would overcome the injustices that were being done in this great country of ours and spoke of the importance of togetherness for all mankind. He appealed to our human conscious and spoke those powerful words that would still today make a strong impact on what we can do together, only if we stand together as mankind. In his mind all things were and are possible if we just try. If you have approximately 18 minutes, I strongly suggest that you go to www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm. In the past I have listened to bits and pieces of this great speech, but never in it's entirety. Upon viewing the video as well as listening to the audio, I couldn't help to see the many diverse races of people that were there on that day. Within one minute of viewing, it not only humbled me, but also brought tears to my eyes. Not only because of the struggles of the past, but also to see how far as a nation that we have come. Let us not forget the 250,00 people that attended that historical event, many of them sacrificed their lives according to their beliefs, black and white. On November 4, 2008, this nation elected Barack Obama as the president of the United States. Dr.Martin Luther King and the believers of equality for all mankind knew that this would eventually happen. And those that were part of the struggle probably never would have thought that this would happen in their lifetime, but it did. And just as we saw the diversity of people that were active during the movement of the 60's, we also saw that same diversity during this election for president elect Barack Obama. Americans came together and reached deep down in their souls and remembered that it was time for "change" and understood the importance of " United We Stand, Divided We Fall". We haven't won the battle completely, and we still have more work that needs to be done, but we have made a major impact and we have shown the world that in America, all things are possible. January 19, 2009, we will be honoring Dr. Martin Luther Kings' birthday. If you have the time please listen to his speech and ask yourself what this speech meant to you and what you can personally do to make this country a greater nation.