Some 40 years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led us in the direction toward a more just and peaceful world. King changed the world, along with hundreds of thousands of ordinary people who were inspired by his vision, courage and leadership.

People were moved into action by King's words — his elegant, wise, visionary words. Through King, people came to believe that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" and that "he who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it."

The Civil Rights movement, King, President Lyndon B. Johnson and enlightened members of Congress accomplished much in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with major advancements following.

And then, after King's assassination in 1968, the strength of the progresssive movement for justice waned. Social changes of the 1960s and '70s resulted in a backlash and a wave of conservativism.

Much remains to do
Imagine where we would be now if we'd heeded King's call more diligently. We'd have progressed much further toward achieving liberty and justice for all. There is much that still must be done.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Many with financial and social advantages leverage their assets to achieve more for themselves, their families and their peers while many people who are poor and socially disadvantaged remain stuck, or fall behind. We're thrilled by success stories, the most spectacular being the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. Sadly, statistics show this is the exception, not the rule.

"There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have no stake in it, who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have a stake in their society protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it," said King.

In his famous speech on April 4, 1967, in Riverside Church in New York City, King said, "I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."

America at a tipping point
We've made progress in many areas, but remain mired in excessive materialism and insufficient humanitarianism. Many of the hateful rants of right-wing extremists are loaded with racism to the point of being dangerous. Militarism is draining our country's financial resources and causing incomprehensible suffering for those soldiers and families directly affected. Most of us have not had to sacrifice and can remain relatively detached.

President Obama continually echoes King's message of hope and possibility, and our president continually reminds us that he can't do it alone, that we must all do our part.

America is now at a tipping point. We can progress toward realizing King's dream, or we can regress into further inequality and social strife. Now is the time to make a commitment to make a difference.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy," said King. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." "The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood."

In addition to being an exceptional leader in spiritual politics, King was also a brilliant strategist and a scholar. He warned us that "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." Besides being inspired and willing to serve, we need to be well informed and smart.

Believe we can transform America! Believe the clarion call from some 40 years ago of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Believe we can make the long term, systemic changes needed to create a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.

King taught us that "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

"Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Phyllis Stenerson, of Minneapolis, focuses on values in politics and public policy through research, writing and activism at ProgressiveValues.org.