In the public library of New Haven, Connecticut there is a painting by an unknown artist which bears renewed meaning.

When I pass by on the stairs, I gaze up at the painting, and see Martin Luther King Jr's determined gaze. My mind is brought back to his "I Have a Dream" speech delivered in Washington DC on August 28, 1963 over 45 years ago.

This was a moment that helped usher in a new age of change for the country he loved so much, the United States of America.

This great man spoke to both blacks and whites in his address that day, speaking of a day when the country will attain it's promise of life, liberty, and the ability for all men to pursue happiness.

The day after celebrating Martin Luther King Jr Day in 2009, we will inaugurate our first African American president. We have showed the world that the words we hold dear in our Declaration of Independence are not just words on paper, but beliefs set in our nation's consciousness. When Barack Obama becomes president part of that dream is reality. We have a lot of work to do still, but we have reason to hope. Martin Luther King Jr had a dream with you and I in it. He fought and gave his life for it...