I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day …&uot;

We all know those words of Dr. Martin Luther King, spoken so eloquently on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963.

As we celebrate what would have been Dr. King’s 75th birthday, we have an opportunity to reflect on his words &045;&045; and on how his vision is being carried out in our own community.

Still far from perfect, race relations in the Miss-Lou are improving across several areas of our community, from education to business to religion.

While Sunday morning remains a segregated time in Natchez, we still have preachers who are working together to do God’s work. We have churches whose congregations are mixed, where white and black parishioners stand side by side to hear God’s word.

We have two institutions of higher learning in Natchez &045;&045; Alcorn State and Copiah-Lincoln Community College &045;&045; who share a campus and work hard to complement each other’s mission.

We have chambers of commerce where black and white business leaders work together to better our economy.

Dr. King’s vision, so eloquently stated that day many years ago, must ring true for us not only as an ultimate goal but as a daily action plan.

Our community’s future will depend upon our willingness and our ability to work together. We owe it not only to Dr. King’s legacy but to our children’s future to work toward its success.