Young People Must Lead in Fulfilling King’s Dream

"The vision that electrified the country in 1963 ... remains ahead of us," the U.S. education secretary tells students in Washington. "It will take a struggle to get there — a struggle our young people must lead.”

“Civil rights means having the same opportunities that other people do — regardless of what you look like, where you come from, or whom you love,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told students at the School Without Walls in Washington on August 27. “And in today’s world, to have real opportunity, you need a world-class education.”

Speaking in advance of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the inspirational “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr., Duncan said there is still much work to be done to realize King’s dream, and he urged students to join a heroic struggle that began long before they were born.

In a blog post to the Department of Education website, the secretary said, “The vision that electrified the country in 1963 — the vision of Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and the other leaders of the March — remains ahead of us. And it will take struggle to get there — a struggle our young people must lead.”