Why We Can't Wait

In the 1999 afterword, the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson writes that “[i]t is the triumph of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, life and legacy that the ceilings have been lifted off of our dreams” (194). More African-Americans now have the freedom to enter the middle class, despite negative portrayals of them in the mainstream media. Because of King’s commitment and refusal to compromise his beliefs, America has navigated a difficult century to come much closer to the ideals of fairness and equality espoused in its foundational documents. The changes he inspired have benefitted both blacks and whites because his was a racially-inclusive vision. Unfortunately, some of the problems against which King fought persist. Jackson argues that it is not enough just to read this book or celebrate King once a year on MLK Day. Jackson exhorts the reader to finish the work King began before his assassination in 1968. People must become active in the “fourth movement” (204) for civil rights—economic justice.Why We Can’t Wait can serve as a “compass” to guide contemporary activists in this cause (206).