I think there is a sort of bell curve example to illustrate America's attitudes toward acceptance.
After Dr. King's speech and through much of the 70s there was a true movement toward becoming a color blind nation. But as the race baiters became more vocal and injected themselves in issues and when militant organizations like New Black Panthers and LaRaza worked to foment separation the trend began to slide.
When I was in college ('68-'72) there was a building atmosphere of cooperation and getting to know each other. There would never have been talk of a Black Student Union or Latino Caucus.
Oh, don’t get me wrong—I’m not for the reverse discrimination that has become our norm.
But to downplay what MLKJ symbolizes and how unjust too much of our country was until his time is noxious.