We are moving in the right direction

I remember Dr. Martin Luther King’s great message when he led 250,000 people on the march in Washington for civil rights. Dr. King made a statement I will never forget: that he had a “dream” that one day his children would be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.

America celebrates Black History Month every year in February. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or an Independent, you have to appreciate that Barack Obama is running for the highest office in the land, and that he is running because he feels he is qualified and has the character for change. Whether Mr. Obama wins or not is not the focus. The fact that an African-American man for the first time in history could win in Iowa, which is over 90 percent white, is evidence that America is fulfilling Dr. King’s Dream.

America still has work to do. We are moving in the right direction to ensure that one day we will not see skin color, but we will instead judge public officials running for office by their character. What an exciting time in our history. Let us not forget how far we have come together. We are not blue and red states, or black and white — we are the United States of America.

J.J. Frank

Minority Achievers Program Director