King’s Dream Still a Nightmare for Many, Pastor Says : Civil rights: The Rev. John McReynolds challenges clergy to preach that America is still far from free and equal and is told to live slain leader’s dream by example.

A preacher from the county’s oldest black church told a group of Orange County Protestant, Jewish and Catholic leaders Monday that Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous dream remains a nightmare for much of the African American community.

The Rev. John McReynolds, senior pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Santa Ana, challenged about three dozen colleagues at a monthly luncheon to do their part by preaching that America is still far from free and equal.

His exhortation, including a vigorous critique of the status quo, was well received by the clergy there. Members had chosen this topic because they wanted to ensure that the community doesn’t just pay lip service annually on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to a universal ideal.

In what amounted to a sermon to fellow clergy men and women, McReynolds said the political playing field in Orange County is slanted. For example, the county has yet to see its first African American elected to the Board of Supervisors, he said.

He said economic oppression too is common in parts of the county. “We are still faced with . . . (a) conservative political community whose refusal to provide a decent minimum wage perpetuates the horrors of urban and community despair.”

Prejudice is also visited on the black middle class, he said. “In order for us to get that good-paying job,” McReynolds said, “we must dress better, act better, speak better and perform the job better than any other racial group just to qualify for a second job interview.”

Blacks still make up less than 2% of the county population, and the younger generation doesn’t have adequate role models, he said.

“Too many of our young people graduate from universities only to learn that in reality they only qualify for a mid-day shift at Dairy Queen or McDonald’s,” he said. “The absence of hope breeds anger and the negation of faith to build a better tomorrow.”

Agreeing that much of King’s dream is far from realized, the religious leaders acknowledged they have a duty to present more than a storybook version of King’s goals to their communities--they need to live the dream by example.

“The clergy (members) are some of the most influential people in the community. If they are bigoted and prejudiced, the people catch it,” said Rabbi Bernard M. Cohen, founder of Clergy Network, a statewide religious group that organized the luncheon.

Sister Rita O’Connell of St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress said she feels “helping black people feel accepted is at the root of this. As a community, we’re just beginning to appreciate their diversity. We’ve got a long ways to go.”