America continues to change. Over time, ideals that once seemed out of reach become visible on the horizon.

This is the case when it comes to race relations. While the process toward a fully integrated society — one absent bias and stereotypes — has been a slow and painful one, two recent stories bring us welcome news.

The first story is about Jeremy Lin, the talk of the sports and media worlds. For those few of you who may have been under a rock the last month, Lin is the basketball player who, because of injuries to his teammates, became a surprise starting point guard for the New York Knicks. A 2010 graduate of Harvard and twice cut by professional basketball teams, he has produced a spectacular series of on-court performances. He also is charming, smart, humble, and thoroughly decent. He just happens to be Asian-American. His story has many appealing qualities but perhaps the most important is that it helps put to rest dangerous and inaccurate racial stereotypes.

Sports have often led the fight for equal rights. Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago White Sox and the Bulls, has said. “Most among us are willing to embrace hardworking people regardless of the color of their skin, and that has been especially true in the world of entertainment and sports, but we must do better across the board,”

The second story comes from the Pew Research Center. It tells us that in 2010, 15 percent of all new marriages in the United States were interracial, compared with 7 percent in 1980.  Back this up with other information and you have what appears to be an unstoppable trend.  A 2011 Gallup poll tells us that 86 percent of Americans now approve of interracial marriage, compared with 4 percent 50 years ago. The 2010 census tells us that 9 million people describe themselves as being biracial, compared with 6 million in 2000.  And by 2050 we will be a majority-minority nation.

The truth is that America has been multiracial since colonial times. But narrow-mindedness and fear have too often made many deny it, fight it or try to keep one group first among equals. The result is a record of integration and racial tolerance too often characterized by injustice, violence and pain, leading to some of our nation’s most shameful behavior. The silver lining, slight as it may be, is that the fight to do what’s right has also produced some of our finest moments. Many in the pantheon of America’s great heroes — Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez — made their brave and eloquent stands in this arena. We cannot erase our past and must never deny it, but we can shape the future. A new world is being made in front of our eyes, and it is one of unlimited potential: a nation rid of bias and racism.

It is clear that millions are moving in this direction. A mere 50 years ago, more than half of those polled said they would not vote for an African-American presidential candidate. That barrier has fallen. And stories like the ones about Jeremy Lin and interracial marriage are more proof positive that we continue to move in the right direction.

In a world filled with bad news, we should stop for a moment and celebrate this success. But it is imperative to remember that while the ideal is on the horizon, it is not yet firmly in our grasp.