A day to dream: Parade a reflection on King, a projection to Obama

The nation's a mess. The recession hasn't hit bottom. The home mortgage crisis continues its downward spiral. Nevada's economy is a shambles with little relief in sight.

But as I stood on the corner of Gass Avenue and Fourth Street on a heavenly Monday morning and watched thousands congregate for the 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, I might never have guessed we faced such daunting problems. There's something about Dr. King's message, especially as it reverberated on the cusp of the most incredible presidential inauguration in the nation's history, that refuses to give in to cynicism and despair.

Some radio talk show hosts and media pundits have vilified that optimism as mindless nonsense, and it's clear many people are leading more with their hearts than their heads in professing hope for a brighter tomorrow under Barack Obama's leadership. That sense of unity, rare and fine, sure beats the alternative in my estimation.

"It's a majority of just different cultures," Teamsters member Ramona Thomas said as she watched the passing parade, whose entrants ranged from elementary school marchers to engines from local fire departments. "It's not just blacks. It's Mexicans, too. It's white folks, too. It's a change coming. We've been looking for this a long time, basically all my life. Hopefully, and I pray that everything is going to be all right. It's going to be difficult anyway. Obama has a lot to clean up. Basically, by his attitude, I think he'll be a calm president. He's rational. He'll work things out and see the big picture before he makes a decision."

It was the dream of many who passed the morning under a blue, pastoral sky embroidered with wisps of clouds and the vapor trails of high-flying jets.

Attorney John S. Rogers of the law office of David Lee Phillips said he's noticed a decrease in the friction between the races after Obama's resounding victory in November. Phillips, incidentally, is the son of iconic Southern Nevada civil rights activist Ruby Duncan.

"It's not post-racial," Rogers said, "but it's a step in the right direction."

It's a small step to some, a giant leap to others, a false step to those critical of the Obama presidency even before he takes office. But, cynics be damned, it appears a change is indeed coming.

In fact, it's already arrived, according to a CNN-Opinion Research nationwide poll that found 69 percent of African-Americans now believe King's dream of racial equality has been reached. White Americans remained more skeptical, but the number has risen to 46 percent.

That doesn't mean the end of racism, far from it. But it points to what I believe is a nation that, beneath the immense weight of recession and foreign war, remains strong and in some ways is more unified than before. Call me a dizzy dreamer, but I'd rather look up and be laughed at than look to the gutter and see the country live down to its lowest expectations.

Perhaps it is because it's not an election year, and Nevada's political contingent at the inauguration is larger than I imagined, but I noticed few politicians along the parade route. There was the ubiquitous Mayor Oscar Goodman and a few African-American officials, but not many others. That's backward and embarrassing.

As he moved through the crowd, City Councilman Steve Wolfson celebrated the moment.

"It's special in general every year, celebrating the good work of Dr. Martin Luther King, and particularly because of our president-elect," Wolfson said. "But I was talking with (Assemblyman) Harvey Munford a few minutes ago, and we both recognized there's almost a tie-in between tomorrow and today. It's kind of a natural blend, if you will."

It's something Louise Banks didn't want her 8-year-old niece, Faith Fines, to miss. Banks, a 17-year resident originally from Chicago, conveyed the sentiment of many.

"Seeing the crowds today, I've seen a lot of Caucasians bringing their kids out to Martin Luther King," she said. "We're also celebrating the inauguration as well. It's like two-in-one. It's really a wonderful, wonderful day, and I wish Dr. King were here to see what's going to happen tomorrow."

In trying times, it's heartening to know some people believe that great American dreams can still come true.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith/.