MLK JR

It is a tremendous thing to have the day celebrating the life of America's foremost civil rights advocate the day before the inauguration of its first African-American President. It seems like a topic so rich for discussion: is the Obama Presidency the culmination of the civil rights effort? Is it realization of Dr. King's dream? Is it the end of all dreams deferred?

But who is to address these questions? They receive only the most superficial discussion in the press. And President Obama has responsibilities as its Chief Executive that will probably counsel against an extended analysis of the arc of the struggle for equal rights.

How do we define changes in race relations as they are occurring?