Forty five years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps of the memorial in Washington, DC paying tribute to the president who ended slavery – Abraham Lincoln – to deliver the infamous “I Have a Dream?” speech. Delivered during the height of racial tension in the 1960s, King’s speech called for an America where “my four little 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.”

Now, forty five years later, a black man prepares to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States. In many ways, Barack Obama transcends race and has an uncanny ability to inspire a nation to believe – just as King did – at a time when we need it most.

I was a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter in the Primary and now support Obama. I truly believe America needs a new direction. But, whatever your politics are – if you are Republican like a large part of my family or if you’ve been an Obama supporter all along, this is a remarkable moment for all of us.

Bill Clinton, in elevating to the presidency, did a lot to break down barriers and said to the nation that even a boy from Hope can be President of the United States – and now Barack Obama, by accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States, truly makes it possible for every young boy and girl – regardless of race or creed – to be anything they want to be in America.

WVU has helped so many launch their dreams and it will help us to launch ours too and regardless of your politics, Barack Obama’s nomination and Hillary Clinton’s candidacy has paved the way for so many more Americans to reach their dreams.

Whether you are Republican or Democrat, a McCain or Obama supporter, you must admit it is quite remarkable that tonight – the hope for a better tomorrow is alive and well – as a black man accepts the nomination of the Democratic Party on the 45th anniversary of King’s historic speech.

Tonight, we should all be proud of the progress of the past 45 years – and be hopeful about the progress yet to come.