As far as it seems like we've come - and it's a considerable distance, with memories of fire hoses in Birmingham not far removed from images of the inauguration of our country's first African American president - there's still work to be done. Dr. King's Dream is not yet a full reality, and for this reason keeping it forever fresh in our collective consciousness is as important as ever. Tacoma is known for hosting one of the largest annual indoor MLK celebrations in the country, and this year will be no different. With a "Unity in the Community" theme, the 2010 MLK celebration will start at 10:30 a.m. at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall - with a keynote address delivered by Dr. Terrence Roberts, one of the "Little Rock Nine."

[Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., free, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, city of tacoma.org]