Fifty years ago, Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Since then we have seen some progress in terms of civil rights, with, for example, Barack Obama as the first black President of the United States, but we also see continued tensions, violence and oppression, not just in the USA, but elsewhere as well.
What I believe Dr King did manage to do was to create a stronger sense of the possibility of equality, of connection between black and white supported by the will to change the past. His dream gave people a deeper sense of shared purpose, which in turn drove more action, more challenge to the status quo, more change. His dream has yet to be fully realised, but 50 years on we can recognise and applaud his courage in making a stand and inspiring others to do the same.
What do you think? Please tweet @SimonJHayward and let me know.