The 62nd anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom passed kind of quietly on Aug. 28. The Rev. Al Sharpton led a protest march through Manhattan's Financial District in an attempt to influence businesses and corporations not to end their diversity, equity and inclusion policies. He continued to push for the boycott of stores that have eliminated their DEI programs and urged support for retailers that have kept their diversity initiatives. Those who marched with Sharpton believe that fighting against the DEI backlash from President Donald Trump's administration is crucial in keeping Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream alive.

Equity and equality were central themes in King's "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington, as he spoke passionately about the stronghold of poverty among Blacks in Southern states, the bitterness of division and distrust sown by racial segregation, and the immoral laws to keep Blacks disenfranchised. Although we are two generations removed from King's moving plea to the nation, we are seeing some of those old, hard-fought battles he mentioned reemerge. Today, it is interesting to note the current perceptions of some Americans regarding discrimination in a time when King hoped, and many thought, we would be much better off.

The Pew Research Center published two studies in May that evaluated how some Americans regard the discrimination specific ethnic groups face and how views of race and policing have changed since the murder of George Floyd in 2020. In the first study, in which 3,589 of those surveyed responded out of a sample size of 4,036, 74% believed African Americans still face some discrimination. Seventy-two percent concurred with this viewpoint for Hispanics; 66% for Asians. When breaking these responses down along partisan lines, it was found that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say that White people, men and those who identify as religious "experience a lot of or some discrimination." Drawing on a sample size of 5,097 adults, two key findings of the second study showed that African Americans are the most likely to say that more attention needs to be paid to racial issues and that they "remain doubtful about the likelihood of racial equality." To have these sentiments in 2025 is somewhat discouraging, considering all the tremendous sacrifices King and those who worked closely with him made in their dauntless fight for social justice during the 1960s.

With the primary focus on DEI in the present social justice movements, I believe it is critical to remember that the core of King's vision for equality was rooted in Godly brotherhood. One of King's lesser-known quotes is, "Segregation is a blatant denial of the unity which we all have in Christ Jesus." King knew that we would not make substantial progress if we continued to view each other through the discordant lens of race. In his "I Have a Dream" speech, King refers to "the solid rock of brotherhood," urging the nation's leaders "to make justice a reality for all of God's children," and he mentions "the table of brotherhood," expressing his desire for the former sons of slaves and slaveowners being able to dwell together without any lingering animosity. In discussions on DEI in higher education, corporate America and other professional fields, we often hear that everyone deserves the opportunity to have a seat at the table. This is undoubtedly true, but if we are not treating each other with the genuine love and compassion that God shows, there will always be unfairness and a lack of access. King's dream for equality and access, which he shared with those who marched to Washington in the blistering heat that August in 1963 and those who watched via television at home, was rooted in a longing for spiritual maturity and growth. He knew that our hearts needed to be transformed by Christ in a way that would supersede the capabilities of the legislation he was tirelessly working to bring to pass. We are unfortunately not there yet, even though we are 57 years removed from the end of the civil rights movement.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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