The Destruction of Martin Luther King's Dream of a Colorblind Society

Before he became an advocate of "black power," Martin Luther King said he dreamed of a day when "my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

That noble dream is all but dead. The question is why? One professor thinks he has the answer. His name is Onkar Ghate.

Dr. Ghate received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Calgary. Ghate is a resident fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute where he teaches in the Institute's Objectivist Academic Center, where he teaches a year-long undergraduate course on Ayn Rand's philosophy Objectivism.

"In the years since the 'I have a dream' speech, the laudable goal of a colorblind society has been subverted through racial quotas and the teachings of multiculturalism," said Dr. Onkar Ghate. As we commemorate King's birth it is depressing to note how far America has deviated from the "dream," said Ghate.

"The consequence of the spread of racial quotas and multiculturalist ideas hasn't been harmony, but a precipitous rise in racial hatred throughout America, particularly in the classroom and the workplace. It is no surprise that America is growing more racist, since the affirmative action and multiculturalist programs are themselves based on racist premises."

Ghate added that King's dream can be realized, but this would require that Americans:

• Recognize that individualism, not collectivism, is the antidote for racism
• Recognize that affirmative action and multiculturalism are based on racism
• Demand that when hiring, employers only consider character traits such as ability and honesty, not physical attributes such as skin color or gender
• Demand the elimination of all black, ethnic and women's studies programs at public universities
• Demand the elimination of all racial categories on government forms

"The wider tragedy of Martin Luther King Day is that King's dream of a colorblind society has been replaced by antithetical philosophical ideas," said Ghate, who lectures on philosophy throughout North America. "But it is a dream that could be made real in less than a generation--a dream we should already be celebrating as a reality."

Dr. Ghate is a resident fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute where he teaches in the Institute’s Objectivist Academic Center. He has lectured on philosophy and Objectivism throughout North America.