What the Dream Means to Me

Malala Yousafzai's dream is to "see every child with a book and pen...every woman in the world treated with dignity and equality." For Sen. Marco Rubio, Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream "reminded us that opportunity and freedom are American ideals, belonging to no singular demographic." Fifty years after the March on Washington, Colin Powell says "we have seen great progress. But we are not yet where we need to be." As part of its special issue marking the 50th anniversary of King's Dream speech, TIME asked 13 notable figures what that dream means to them in today's world. In addition to Yousafzai, Rubio and Powell, the contributors include Jesse Jackson, Wang Dan, Shonda Rhimes, John Conyers, Elijah E. Cummings, Geoffrey Canada, Theodore B. Olson, Sonia Sanchez, Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Maya Angelou. While each has his or her unique perspective to offer, all would probably agree with Jackson's statement that "the struggle for democracy and equal protection will never be a past-tense discussion. We've got to keep marching."

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!