Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the most important figures in American history. The ultimate pioneer for equality. With his dedication and conviction to his cause, he laid the foundation for every American who chooses to fight for equality and justice. It was on this day, April 4th, forty years ago, that Dr. King was assassinated by James Earl Ray, setting the entire nation into mourning. But even though Dr. King was taken from us so prematurely, the impact he had on our country will undoubtedly live on forever. He has inspired us and urged us to pick up where he left off; to continue his fight until the day when his "dream" is achieved.

MSN.com features an article today about how far we have come in achieving that dream. Reverend Jesse Jackson, another civil rights pioneer, acknowledged that we have taken important steps as a nation, but there is still an enormous amount of progress to be made. However, he uses the current election as promising evidence that America is making significant improvements:

Jackson says the candidacies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton show that the country is less reactionary when it comes to race and gender."I see the seeds [King] sowed bearing fruit today," Jackson says. "The massive white vote for Barack; he is the conduit through which the newer, better America is expressing itself."