King's dream showing progress

WASHINGTON — Most Americans believe there has been significant progress in achieving Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of racial equality, though blacks are more skeptical, an AP-Ipsos poll found.

Racial integration has swept across much of American life and blacks have gained economic ground since the height of the civil rights movement. Two decades ago, the government established a federal holiday in honor of the slain civil rights leader.

On some measures such as annual income, blacks have closed the gap considerably with whites over the past few decades, census figures show. The progress for blacks may have stalled, however, and some even fear a possible backlash.

"We've made great progress over the last 50 years," said Julian Bond, national chairman of the NAACP. "Progress has always been stop-and-start, and sometimes backup.

We're in a holding pattern right now."

Three-quarters of those surveyed say there has been significant progress on achieving King's dream. But only 66 percent of blacks felt that way.

"At times I have felt that we've made progress," said Aubrey Jones, a black deputy warden at a state prison near Macon, Ga. "At other times, I feel we're at a standstill, especially when you come across instances of individuals being prejudiced."

The obstacles extend beyond instances of discrimination and prejudice.

"For a big portion of the African-Americans, there's not better education," said David Bositis, an analyst of black issues for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "There have been some gains made, but it's uneven. A lot of whites basically say: 'The civil rights movement has been done. I don't want to hear about it anymore."'

Only 23 percent of respondents say they will do anything to commemorate the national holiday that took effect in 1986 after a lengthy campaign in Congress to honor King. A solid majority of blacks, 60 percent, say they will get involved in holiday activities.

Some say the civil rights movement sparked a backlash that could reverse gains.

Among those concerns are efforts to require a voter ID card in Georgia; the expected confirmation of conservative Judge Samuel Alito to be on the Supreme Court; immigration's effect on the job market for blacks; and an expected fight next year over reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.