Some of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dreams Have Yet to Be Realized

Blacks still lag in key social and economic areas.

On Equality - On the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., BET.com looks back at some of the memorable quotes by the civil rights leader."There are more Negroes in jail with me than there are on the voting rolls."

1 / 8

African-Americans have made tremendous gains since the tumultuous sixties when they were forced to fight for the most basic of rights, such as a seat in any restaurant, a decent education and, more importantly, participation in the nation’s political system. And while much of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has been realized, if he were alive today, experts say, the civil rights icon would be dismayed by how much progress must still be made.(Photo: dpa/Landov)

Equal Rights for All  - "Dr. King’s leadership really brought equal rights and citizenship for African-Americans into reality. That is his major achievement and it had had spinoff effect, which led to the feminist movement, and Latinos, Asian-Americans and other minorities to seek their rights,” says San Francisco State University political scientist Robert Smith. But according to Peter Groff, who heads the U.S. Department of Education’s faith-based initiatives center, while African-Americans have made “tremendous headway” in overall equality, they continue to lag behind in key economic and social areas.(Photo: Getty Images)

2 / 8

Equal Rights for All - "Dr. King’s leadership really brought equal rights and citizenship for African-Americans into reality. That is his major achievement and it had had spinoff effect, which led to the feminist movement, and Latinos, Asian-Americans and other minorities to seek their rights,” says San Francisco State University political scientist Robert Smith. But according to Peter Groff, who heads the U.S. Department of Education’s faith-based initiatives center, while African-Americans have made “tremendous headway” in overall equality, they continue to lag behind in key economic and social areas.(Photo: Getty Images)

Economics - “Black folks are still suffering very much economically,” says Lincoln University political science professor F. Carl Walton. Those who grew up in the 70s were the first group to enjoy the educational, employment and political benefits of the post-civil rights movement, he explains, but a shifting political landscape and economic downturns have hurt African-Americans and other minorities the most, leaving urban communities very much in need.(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

3 / 8

Economics - “Black folks are still suffering very much economically,” says Lincoln University political science professor F. Carl Walton. Those who grew up in the 70s were the first group to enjoy the educational, employment and political benefits of the post-civil rights movement, he explains, but a shifting political landscape and economic downturns have hurt African-Americans and other minorities the most, leaving urban communities very much in need.(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Public Education - While segregated public schools are legally prohibited, San Francisco State University political scientist Robert Smith believes that, in many ways, schools are as separate and unequal as they were at the time of King’s assassination. That can be attributed in part to the fact that schools in Black communities have fewer resources, which creates wide achievement gaps. “But a large part of it is cultural. There are many Black communities where kids almost resist learning,” Smith says. “That would disappoint King, because while he’d think educational opportunities are not equal, they’re better than they were in the 60s and African-Americans are not taking advantage of them in the ways they did when there was actual segregation.”(Photo: G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

4 / 8

Public Education - While segregated public schools are legally prohibited, San Francisco State University political scientist Robert Smith believes that, in many ways, schools are as separate and unequal as they were at the time of King’s assassination. That can be attributed in part to the fact that schools in Black communities have fewer resources, which creates wide achievement gaps. “But a large part of it is cultural. There are many Black communities where kids almost resist learning,” Smith says. “That would disappoint King, because while he’d think educational opportunities are not equal, they’re better than they were in the 60s and African-Americans are not taking advantage of them in the ways they did when there was actual segregation.”(Photo: G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2011/08/National/082211-national-dreams-not-realized-higher-education.jpg

5 / 8

Higher Education - Significantly more colleges and universities have opened their doors to African-Americans, creating opportunities for them to pursue advanced degrees and work in every professional field. But it has come at a cost, says Lincoln University political science professor F. Carl Walton, as tuitions and other fees rise and state and federal financial aid programs decline. Most African-American students depend on aid, and rising costs may force them to give up their higher education dreams, he fears, particularly in a struggling economy, which makes it more difficult for people to find the jobs they need to repay student loans.(Photo: Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Racism - Legally sanctioned racist policies in employment, housing, restaurants and other areas have been eradicated, but a new kind of racism has evolved since King’s death. As San Francisco State University political scientist Robert Smith explains, situations continue to arise in which African-Americans who have equal or even stronger credentials than a white job applicant will be passed over in favor of the white applicant. “It’s hard to tackle because people deny they’ve done it,” Smith says.(Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

6 / 8

Racism - Legally sanctioned racist policies in employment, housing, restaurants and other areas have been eradicated, but a new kind of racism has evolved since King’s death. As San Francisco State University political scientist Robert Smith explains, situations continue to arise in which African-Americans who have equal or even stronger credentials than a white job applicant will be passed over in favor of the white applicant. “It’s hard to tackle because people deny they’ve done it,” Smith says.(Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2011/06/National/061411-news-national-bidemi-bello.jpg

7 / 8

Criminal Justice  - According to Peter Groff, head of the U.S. Department of Education’s faith-based initiatives center, criminal justice is still an area of concern, particularly because of the disproportionate number of African-American males in the nation’s penal system and jails. Lincoln University political science professor F. Carl Walton agrees that while the number of Black judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials has increased, state legislatures continue to pass laws that often result in disparate and harsher sentences for Blacks.(Photo: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

Photo By REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

/content/dam/betcom/images/2011/08/National/082211-national-dreams-not-realized-higher-voting.jpg

8 / 8

Voting Rights - Redistricting has made voting rights a major issue in states across the nation. “As states redraw political lines, there may be some covert attempts to backtrack on voting rights and we have to be very vigilant,” warns Lincoln University political science professor F. Carl Walton. “We have to make sure that people don’t misinterpret the spirit of the Voting Rights Act to use it negatively to affect representation in Black communities.” In addition, African-Americans must turn out en masse at the polls for every election, and not just presidential cycles, he says.(Photo: REUTERS/Danny Moloshok)

Photo By REUTERS/Danny Moloshok