Two hundred and thirty-nine years ago, the Framers of our Constitution laid the foundation for a nation built on the promise of liberty and justice for all. They envisioned a republic anchored in checks and balances, a sacred covenant ensuring that no single executive ruler could ever claim absolute authority over the children of God. Yet today, as this column reaches you, we must confront the tragic reality that our nation’s founding promises are being severely tested.
We have watched with heavy hearts as the executive branch repeatedly wandered into the wilderness of overreach. We saw the constitutional power of the purse, rightfully belonging to the representatives of the people, unilaterally bypassed to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars explicitly appropriated for our local schools and public safety. We witnessed an aggressive attempt to restrict the ballot itself through decrees imposing rigid passport requirements on voter registration and moving local polling places, alongside a direct assault on the 14th Amendment’s sacred guarantee of birthright citizenship.
In this wilderness, a small circle of billionaires and special interest groups seemed to lock arms with power, completely forgetting the hard-working middle Americans of every race, color and creed who form the true backbone of this nation.
They forgot about everyday people, the working class and the common man. Scriptural wisdom has long diagnosed the spiritual weariness that settles over a community under such unequal governance. As Proverbs 29:2 warns, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that the broad vaults of opportunity in this nation are empty. Right now, across this country, early voting windows are wide open and the ballot box is active. Our faith is not a passive waiting game; it is an active, unyielding movement. Even as we stand in early voting lines that stretch down city blocks and prepare for Election Day in America, we are walking by faith, not by sight. We are living out the promise found in Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
So I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, just like in the words of the famous speech delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I have a dream, too. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that when the final tallies are counted, the American people will have completely altered our national trajectory, sparking a weeklong celebration across this land as a magnificent Blue Wave rolls from coast to coast.
I have a dream that the week following the election will be defined by the joyful songs of victory as the Democratic Party reclaims control of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This vision transcends mere partisanship; it is about restoring the constitutional equilibrium required to keep a democracy intact. When a co-equal legislature is restored to hold the executive branch accountable, America can finally return to being the true democracy it was conceived to be.
I have a dream today! This dream is deeply personal to me. You see, I come from humble beginnings. I am a sharecropper’s daughter from the rural fields of North Carolina. Yes, I myself picked cotton. In the late 1950s and ’60s, my family worked under the hot sun and labored in those fields. I know what it means to work hard, and I know what it feels like when the people at the top look right past the common man. That is why I know exactly how vital this upcoming election is for middle-class America. We need a government that remembers the hands that built this country, not just the bank accounts of billionaires.
When you look into the mirror today, I want you to see yourself. I want you to see the power, the resilience and the divine purpose that rests within you. Look back and remember how America has looked over these last two years, marred by division, strained by executive overreach and heavy with the concerns of everyday working families who felt unseen. But look at how it will look when we finish doing our part! Look forward to the dawn of a new day, bright with the promise of equality and restored justice, all because we refuse to sit on the sidelines. Let us rise up. Let us stand the test. Let us make sure that when the election is over, we can look back proudly and say: We did our part. We voted!
I have a dream that this upcoming election will be enshrined in history because ordinary people rose up in the highest, record-breaking voter turnout ever witnessed in this country’s history.
For 250 years, this great nation has existed, weathering storms, fighting for freedom and striving toward a more perfect union. Today, we stand on the shoulders of two and a half centuries of struggle. Despite systemic hurdles and calculated voting obstacles, millions of citizens are already standing resolute at early voting locations.
The iconic civil rights leader John Lewis understood the sacred nature of this civic duty, writing: “The vote is precious. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it.”
Lewis also taught us: “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community…”
During this momentous season, our generation is performing that sacred act through early ballots and at the polls. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of accountability, where billionaires no longer overshadow the working class and every citizen is seen and valued.
Let us march toward the polling booths with unyielding resolve, trusting that our collective faithfulness will bring forth a new dawn of righteousness. Let it ring from every statehouse and every city square. And as the anticipated celebrations echo through our future, we will hasten that day when all of God’s children will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the prophet Amos 5:24: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, go to her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.
