The first Martin Luther King Jr. Day was January 20th, 1986. It’s in honor of his birthday. Last Thursday would have been his 97th.
A new poll asked Americans how much of MLK’s “dream” has become a reality in 2026. And most of us agree things still aren’t perfect, but HAVE improved.
73% think a significant amount of his vision has become a reality since his “I Have a Dream” speech more than 60 years ago. (That includes 40% who said “quite a bit” or “a great deal of it,” and 33% who said “some.”)
Another 19% said “not much” or “very little” progress has been made. (The remaining 8% said “not sure.”) 18% of White people polled said not much progress has been made, compared to 23% of Black people. The poll also found 8% of Americans think we’ve solved racism. 43% say it’s still a major problem.)