We’re far from the equality of Dr. King’s dream, but the Biden-Harris administration is moving us in the right direction

By Donna Brazile, theGrio

OPINION: To keep up the momentum, it’s imperative that the American people vote in November to give Democrats in Congress an opportunity to pass more of the Biden-Harris agenda, which will help Americans of all races.

Fifty-nine years ago this month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stirred the conscience of America with his eloquent “I Have a Dream” speech. We’re still a long way from achieving the equality for Black Americans that he dreamt of, but our nation continues to move forward, most recently thanks to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and congressional Democrats.

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My parents couldn’t vote when Dr. King spoke, barred from the ballot box in segregated Louisiana by the color of their skin. And I can remember “colored” schools, restrooms, water fountains and theater seating that was the reality of my life as a little girl. Thankfully, times have changed for the better.

The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, both signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, advanced the cause of racial justice, followed by other important legislation. On top of this, America has been blessed to have our first Black president in Barack Obama and our first Black vice president in Kamala Harris, along with Black people holding many other jobs in government and the private sector that were out of reach to us when I was a child. 

But the struggle continues as Republicans fight to reverse the progress of the past. They are enacting laws at the state level making it harder for Black people and others to vote (after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act), railing against affirmative action, passing laws to bar the truthful teaching of Black history in public schools, absurdly denying the existence of systemic racism, and seeking in other ways to return to the bad old days.

President Biden made history by selecting Harris to become the first Black, female and Asian vice president; by appointing Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman Supreme Court justice; and by appointing the most diverse Cabinet and White House staff in American history. This includes a Black defense secretary, secretary of housing and urban development, Environmental Protection Agency administrator, director of the White House Office of Management and the Budget, ambassador to the United Nations, head of the Council of Economic Advisers, domestic policy adviser and more.  

Discover how Biden has pushed back against racism.

ABHM’s online exhibits highlight several Civil Rights achievements.

More breaking Black news here.