The Dream, forty-five years later

On Thursday, August 28, 2008, Barack Obama will accept the nomination of the Democratic Party for President of the United States. This date is historic for more than the present events would indicate. Forty-five years earlier on August 28, 1963, MLK Jr. gave his democracy-altering speech, I have a Dream, on the mall in Washington, D.C.

I am feeling very.....dare I say it?

Hopeful.

I find hope in this because it seems that the struggles of the past 45 years, at least with respect to race relations in America, may possibly have turned a massively important corner. I have been meaning to write a missive here on race in America as I see it, and haven't managed to have all my ideas coalesce into some coherent whole. In any event, I'm hoping that a trip to Springfield on Saturday to see the man speak will help ground some of these ideas in my mind.

I have never become involved in a presidential campaign before and perhaps I am naive to think that I make any difference to his, but I have cracked open my wallet this time and talked to friends about my candidate. That's something.

I'd like to meet the man who prompted me to action. I want to be sure he's all I envisioned and not just a rock star.