Dr. Martin Luther King uttered these words on the eve of his untimely death. Of course, he spoke in particular to the black community. But I believe he had a larger meaning in mind as well: During his life he evolved his understanding and advocacy to encompass the eradication of poverty.  His passion -- so inspirational still, 41 years later -- was to lift our nation's people out of the racism and poverty that crippled millions of Americans. At the time of his death he was fighting for a living wage for sanitation workers in Memphis.

Watching Citizen King this weekend at the Chicago Freedom School and "The Promised Land" segment of Eyes on the Prize here at CCH, I was struck by how far we still have to travel to achieve a promise of prosperity and how appalled Dr. King would be to see so many people today without housing. Indeed, evictions and homelessness greeted those who registered to vote during the Selma to Montgomery struggle. So, as I listened to these words and reflect on King's legacy in my life, I envision still not only a time when racism is conquered but when we bend our national will towards another promised land: a country without homelessness.

Let's agree to be optimistic and re-double our efforts this year to advocate for adequate support in the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund and implementation of the Sweet Home Chicago ordinance to generate local housing resources in Chicago.

- by Laurene Heybach, Director, The Law Project