Leading up to July 4, The Post, in collaboration with the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, is spotlighting U.S. citizens who share their visions for the American dream in 2026. Among these voices is Martin Luther King III, the son of the historic civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who hails from Georgia.
For me, the American dream is rooted in the aspiration to eliminate poverty, racism, and violence from our nation.
As the chairman of the Drum Major Institute, an organization my father and his colleagues established in the 1960s, I am committed to tackling these challenges. Our mission is to eradicate the triple evils that my father spoke of: poverty, racism, and violence.
My father was tragically assassinated on April 4, 1968. If he had survived, I believe America would be on a vastly different path today. We might be closer to realizing the dream he envisioned and have made more progress in various areas.
He would likely continue to advocate fervently for non-violence. In our current climate, with the threat of nuclear conflict and global instability, his message of peace remains crucial. Unfortunately, despite its simplicity, the principle of non-violence has yet to be fully embraced.
I believe we are only beginning to tap into our potential as a society. While some individuals have made remarkable strides, we as a collective society have yet to fully realize what we can achieve.
I think the American dream … really does include everyone being able to achieve the goals and objectives that they set out for in their lives. I would expand that to freedom, justice and equality for all humankind. We have just have not gotten there yet.
We’ve come a ways and we’ve made some progress, but we have a substantial amount of progress for the American dream to be fulfilled in the sense of what my father talked about now for an individual.
Information is power … we need more entrepreneurs, but entrepreneurship can only be so successful without access to capital. Education is the preeminent issue that helps us all. And nobody thinks about this enough, but if you don’t have your health, you have nothing.
The American Dream Video Project showcases real stories that illuminate pathways to opportunity. Featured at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), this series is part of the Center’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. MCAAD is Washington, DC’s newest cultural institution, offering interactive exhibits and stories about achieving the American Dream. For more information, visit mcaad.org.
