U.S. needs help from all citizens to meet challenges

Who could have imagined 50 years ago that a black president would take the stage to commemorate the anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech?

That's what was slated to happen today when tens of thousands of people were expected to flock to Washington's National Mall to commemorate the peaceful March on Washington that helped spur passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Perhaps more telling is the list of celebrities who will also make appearances alongside President Barack Obama -- chief among them Oprah Winfrey, who was born in poverty in Mississippi and now has an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion.

By some estimates, Winfrey delivered a million votes to the president in the close 2008 Democratic primaries.

But Winfrey's story of poverty, sexual abuse and other struggles is far too common among African Americans, making her story all the more remarkable. By most accounts, she is still the only black billionaire in the world.

The president has never been popular in rural Nebraska, and it's undeniable that some of the opposition is because of his race, but we're hopeful the criticism stems more from his policies than the color of his skin.

Now that president is faced with the crisis in Syria, he must make decisions that will cement his place in history, whether the action puts an end to that regime's abuse of its people or touches off a regional firestorm.

Whatever the outcome, to respond to the many challenges the United States faces in the coming years, we must be able to reach a consensus and enlist the help of our best and brightest citizens, regardless of their color or creed.