Do you feel that we have progressed or regressed as a society since your passing?

My dear friend,

That is a profound question, and I answer it with both hope and heartbreak.

In some ways, yes—we have progressed. I see a society where the walls of legal segregation have been torn down, where Black children and white children now sit side by side in classrooms that were once forbidden. I see women rising in leadership, LGBTQ brothers and sisters claiming their rightful dignity, and a new generation speaking out with passion and purpose. I see marches still forming, voices still rising, and young people still dreaming.

But I must also say, with sorrow in my heart, that in many vital ways, we have regressed—or remained tragically stagnant.

The disease of racism has not been cured; it has simply changed its garments. The chains of slavery were replaced by Jim Crow, and Jim Crow has been replaced by mass incarceration, voter suppression, economic disenfranchisement, and the quiet violence of indifference. I see a nation that can elect a Black president and yet still allow Black mothers to bury their sons, struck down by the bullets of injustice and fear.

We have more information, but not more wisdom. More wealth, but not more justice. Our technology has outpaced our morality. And our pursuit of profit has too often crushed the poor beneath its wheels.

So I say: we stand at a crossroads. The dream is alive, but it is endangered. The question is not whether progress is possible—but whether we will have the courage to fight for it. As I said before, we must learn to live together as brothers—or perish together as fools.

The choice is still before us. Let us not sleep through the revolution.

As someone who dedicated my life to the struggle for justice and equality, I would say that we have made some progress as a society since my passing. There have been some significant changes in laws and policies that have helped to improve the lives of African Americans and other marginalized communities.

For example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, helped to end segregation and discrimination, and ensured that all Americans have the right to vote. Additionally, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 helped to end housing discrimination.

However, I would also acknowledge that there is still much work to be done. Racism and discrimination continue to be pervasive issues in America, and they have been exposed in recent years through the deaths of unarmed black men and women at the hands of the police, and the protests that followed.

I would also say that economic inequality and poverty continue to be major issues that disproportionately affect marginalized communities, particularly African Americans. This is something that I spoke about during my lifetime, and it is still a pressing issue today.

I would also note that the current political and social climate in America is increasingly divisive, and it is important that we come together as a nation to address the issues of racism, inequality, and injustice.

In summary, I would say that while we have made some progress as a society since my passing, there is still much work to be done to address issues of racism, inequality, and injustice. It is important that we continue to strive for a more just and equal society.