Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

As the nation observed the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., some paused to reflect on King's legacy and how the civil rights movement King led has, or has not, changed their lives.

Here is a sample of what some had to say in interviews with CNN.

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"Things have to get worse sometimes before they get better, so I really think right now it's making blacks be more independent." (77K AIFF sound or 77K WAV sound)

Karla Russell-Reed
Detroit, Michigan

"I'm going to do what I have to do to succeed myself, and I'm not going to let anything hold me back from that."

Anthony Evans
New York City

"People aren't as easy to forgive one another as possibly (King) was." (60K AIFF sound or 60K WAV sound)

Ron Hodge
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Even though the struggle is still going on for our African- American people, (the march marking King's birthday) is a good sign and lets us know things are going to get better."

Anissa Walker
Buffalo, New York

"We're Americans. We're not black. We're not white. We're not Hispanics. We're Americans." (51K AIFF sound or 51K WAV sound)

David Craig
Orlando, Florida

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AP and Reuters contributed to this report.