John Lewis spoke at the 1963 civil rights marchOne of the largest political rallies in human history. It is estimated that 200,000 to 300,000 people took part. On the second day of the march, Martin Luther King gave his 'I have a dream' speech in front of the Lincoln memorial. on Washington, DC, led by Martin Luther King. Today the 76-year-old is also a Democrat and a member of the House of RepresentativesThe lower chamber of the United States congress. There are 435 representatives, with a certain number allocated to each state based on the state's population..

On Friday Lewis weighed in on the debate that has engulfed American politics, saying that he thought the Russians had helped get Trump elected. Trump hit back, advising him to 'spend more time on fixing and helping his district'. Predictably, a row erupted over Trump's disrespect to a hero.

Today is Martin Luther King Day, a holiday that takes place on the third Monday of JanuaryIn order to coincide as closely as possible with the date of King's birth - January 15th 1929. every year. This year it has added significance: in just four days' time Donald Trump will officially become president.

Only eight per cent of African Americans who voted in the presidential election chose Trump. Trump, of course, denies the accusations of bigotry that flock his way, but few can deny the symbolism of the first black president being replaced by a man who was endorsed by the Ku Klux KlanAn extremist white supremacy organisation which has existed since the 1860s..

America has had a black president. There are black CEOs of major companies. There are black billionaires. The officially endorsed racism that King fought against no longer exists.

But many argue that this progress does not mean that the racial divide has been healed. Black people in the USA are still poorer, more likely to be homeless, more likely to go to prison and less likely to go to college than the average American.

Writing in The New York Times, Khalil Gibran Muhammad says that a more just country cannot be created simply by 'dressing up institutions in more shades of brown'. To heal 'the gaping wounds of racial injustice', he says, 'we must confront structural racism'. America is in an era of 'post-assimilation', where 'institutions are far more powerful than individuals'.

The history of the civil rights movement is littered with great names. As Jay-Z put it in verse: 'Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly.'

Of course they can, say some. The lives of Martin Luther King and Barack Obama have served as inspirations for millions of oppressed people to fight for their rights. Without King's courage, it is possible that African Americans would still be treated by the law as second-class citizens. All movements need leaders.

The plight of millions of African Americans today belies this fantasy, reply others. Yes, some black people succeed, but we are yet to see significant systemic change. According to Muhammad: 'The future is no longer about 'firsts'. It is instead about the content of the characterA famous quote from King's 'I have a dream' speech is his dream of a country where his children would 'not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character'. of our institutions'.