Hospitals & Asylums
Nonviolent Social Change HA-27-9-05
By Anthony J. Sanders
Art
1 Pledge of Nonviolence in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Life and Work.
I pledge
to do everything that I can to make
where equality
and justice, freedom and peace will grow and flourish.
I pledge
to make nonviolence a way of life in my dealings with all people.
I will
reject all forms of hatred, bigotry and prejudice, and I will embrace the
values of unconditional, universal love, truthfulness, courage, compassion, and
dedication that empowered Dr. King.
I will dedicate my life to creating the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream, where all people can live together as sisters and brothers.
Art.
2 6 Principles of Nonviolence
1. Nonviolence is a way of life
for courageous people.
2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and
understanding
3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not
people
4. Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate
and transform
5. Nonviolence chooses love
instead of hate
6. Nonviolence believes that the
universe is on the side of justice
Art.
3 6 Steps for Nonviolent Social Change
1. Information Gathering
2. Education
3. Personal Commitment
4. Negotiations
5. Direct Action
6. Reconciliation
Art.
4 Public Service
Martin Luther King Jr. said,
"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to
have a college degree to serve. You don't have to have to make your subject and
your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to
serve. You don't have to know Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" to
serve. You don't have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics
to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and
you can be that servant."
Dr. King once said that we
all have to decide whether we "will walk in the light of creative altruism
or the darkness of destructive selfishness. Life's most persistent and nagging
question, he said, is `what are you doing for others?'" he would quote
Mark 9:35, the scripture in which Jesus of Nazareth tells James and John
"...whosoever will be great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever
among you will be the first shall be the servant of all." And when Martin
talked about the end of his mortal life in one of his last sermons, on
In the Letter from Birmingham Jail In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist, negotiations, self purification, and direct action. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Art. 5 Rule of Law
At first glance it may seem paradoxical for us to
consciously break the laws. One may well
ask, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer
lies in the fact that there are two types of laws the just and the unjust. I would be the first to advocate for obeying
just laws. One has not only a legal but
a moral responsibility to obey just laws.
Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with
Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding upon itself. A law is unjust if it is inflicted upon a minority as the result of being denied a right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law.
Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation or to deny citizens their First Amendment privilege to peaceably assemble and protest. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscious tell is unjust and who willingly accepts the punishment of imprisonment in order to arouse the conciounse of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.
Never before have I written such a long letter. I’m afraid it is too long to take your precious time. I can assure that it would be much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.
Art. 6
Non Violence
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s
philosophy and methods of nonviolence is the most powerful tool we have for
creating social change in
Dr. King defined six principles of
nonviolence which were the heart of his philosophy of nonviolence. A
commitment to these six principles is the key to making nonviolence a way of
life in our personal relationships and in resolving conflicts, reconciling
adversaries and creating social change at the community, national and
international levels. He also identified the six steps of
nonviolence as a methodology for applying the six principles in solving
problems and resolving conflicts peacefully.
Dr. King said, just a few weeks before he was assassinated,
“I plan to stand by nonviolence because I have found it to be a philosophy of
life that regulates not only my dealings in the struggle for racial justice,
but also my dealings with people, with my own self.”
Dr. King taught us that nonviolence first transforms the
person who embraces it. Nonviolence is radical in the deepest sense of the word
because it changes the spirit behind attitudes. Once the spirit of nonviolence
is internalized, goals like domination, conquest or retaliation no
longer drive behavior. When this happens the stage is set for a dramatic
transformation of the relationship
Art. 7 Social Experiment
We are challenged to experiment with applying his principles
in our daily lives, especially in resolving the conflicts that we encounter.
Dr. King taught that nonviolence is a powerful tool for revolutionary personal
transformation. As we begin to internalize these teachings, we develop a
greater sense of wholeness and meaning in our lives. We cultivate virtues like
love, truth, commitment, respect and courtesy, courage, self-discipline, hard
work, honesty and social responsibility. These are the some of the core values
involved in making nonviolence a way of life.
Nonviolence as a way of life challenges us to rise above the debilitating emotions of hatred and to purge our contempt and animosity toward adversaries. Instead of returning anger with anger, we set an example of emotional maturity. We educate the public and we win the respect and support of the community. We acquire a moral and spiritual power that can not be denied. To internalize the spirit of nonviolence, we refuse to be bated into petty arguments. We challenge negative energy and violence with a loving, positive attitude. This is how nonviolence disarms adversaries. As Dr. King said, “Along the way of life, someone must have enough sense and morality to cut off the chain of hate by projecting the ethics of love into the center of our lives.”
Art. 8 Conflict
A commitment to study and practice nonviolence in our personal lives gives us an edge in resolving conflicts and in achieving your goals without making enemies. These teachings can help improve our family relationships and our dealings with friends and our peers. Nonviolence can help us more effectively communicate with our adversaries and resolve disputes in a way that benefits everyone
The way most people deal with a conflict is by first asking themselves the question, "How can I get my way?" This is the normal way of dealing with a problem. When we think this way, as we all do so often, we let our egos manage the conflict.
But there is a better way. When we make nonviolence a way of life, the first question we ask at a time of conflict is, "What is the most loving thing to do?" When we think this way, we tap the power of the soul. We overcome the narrow, selfish concerns of the ego.
We don't want to destroy our opponent. We want to win their friendship and understanding. We try to find a "win-win" solution, which benefits everyone. This is how we create lasting peace. We resolve the conflict, not with the attitude of a conqueror, but with the motivation of a peace-maker.
Art. 9 Unconditional Love
In practicing Kingian nonviolence, we make a commitment to unconditional love for all people without exceptions. We reject all forms of hatred, even for our opponents. We respect the humanity of everyone, especially our enemies. In fact, we don't even like the word "enemies." We prefer the word "adversaries" because it has less animosity and makes us think about the conflict on a higher level.
Nonviolence as a way of life requires that we learn self-discipline and confidence, which is the key to self-esteem. We also learn how to control anger and channel it into constructive and creative action to achieve our goals. We practice the art of nonviolent communication, so we can persuade adversaries instead of fighting with them.
The key to making nonviolence a way of life is to accept love as the guiding principle of all our relationships. Pain and suffering comes into all of our lives; but only love can heal the wounds of the past. Only love can lift us up and make us whole and free. If you let love rule your heart, there is no obstacle, no barrier, no problem you can't overcome. This is God's promise to every human being and it is the key to liberation for us all. Love is the most powerful force in the universe and it is also the most available force, because everyone can tap into it.
The core value of the quest for Dr. King’s Beloved Community was agape love. Dr. King distinguished between three kinds of love: eros, “a sort of aesthetic or romantic love”; philia, “affection between friends” and agape, which he described as “understanding, redeeming goodwill for all,” an “overflowing love which is purely spontaneous, unmotivated, groundless and creative”…”the love of God operating in the human heart.” He said that “Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people…It begins by loving others for their sakes” and “makes no distinction between a friend and enemy; it is directed toward both…Agape is love seeking to preserve and create community.”
In his 1963 sermon, Loving Your Enemies, published in his book, Strength to Love, Dr. King addressed the role of unconditional love in struggling for the beloved Community. ‘With every ounce of our energy we must continue to rid this nation of the incubus of segregation. But we shall not in the process relinquish our privilege and our obligation to love. While abhorring segregation, we shall love the segregationist. This is the only way to create the beloved community.”
One expression of agape love in Dr. King’s Beloved Community is justice, not for any one oppressed group, but for all people. As Dr. In his 1959 Sermon on Gandhi, Dr. King elaborated on the after-effects of choosing nonviolence over violence: “The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, so that when the battle’s over, a new relationship comes into being between the oppressed and the oppressor.” In the same sermon, he contrasted violent versus nonviolent resistance to oppression. “The way of acquiescence leads to moral and spiritual suicide. The way of violence leads to bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. But, the way of non-violence leads to redemption and the creation of the beloved community.”
The core value of the quest for Dr. King’s Beloved Community was agape love. Dr. King distinguished between three kinds of love: eros, “a sort of aesthetic or romantic love”; philia, “affection between friends” and agape, which he described as “understanding, redeeming goodwill for all,” an “overflowing love which is purely spontaneous, unmotivated, groundless and creative”…”the love of God operating in the human heart.” He said that “Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people…It begins by loving others for their sakes” and “makes no distinction between a friend and enemy; it is directed toward both…Agape is love seeking to preserve and create community.”
In his 1963 sermon, Loving Your Enemies, published in his book, Strength to Love, Dr. King addressed the role of unconditional love in struggling for the beloved Community. ‘With every ounce of our energy we must continue to rid this nation of the incubus of segregation. But we shall not in the process relinquish our privilege and our obligation to love. While abhorring segregation, we shall love the segregationist. This is the only way to create the beloved community.”
One expression of agape love in Dr. King’s Beloved Community is justice, not for any one oppressed group, but for all people. As Dr. King often said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He felt that justice could not be parceled out to individuals or groups, but was the birthright of every human being in the Beloved Community. "I have fought too long hard against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concerns,” he said. “Justice is indivisible."
Art. 10 Beloved Community
“The Beloved Community” is
a term that was first coined in the early days of the 20th century
by the philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce, who founded the Fellowship of
Reconciliation. However, it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., also a member of
the Fellowship of Reconciliation, who popularized the term and invested it with
a deeper meaning which has captured the imagination of people of good will all
over the world.
For Dr. King, The Beloved
Community was not a lofty utopian goal to be confused with the rapturous image
of the
Dr. King’s Beloved Community is a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. In the Beloved Community, international disputes will be resolved by peaceful conflict-resolution and reconciliation of adversaries, instead of military power. Love and trust will triumph over fear and hatred. Peace with justice will prevail over war and military conflict.
Art. 11 Conflict
Dr. King’s Beloved Community was
not devoid of interpersonal, group or international conflict. Instead he
recognized that conflict was an inevitable part of human experience. But he
believed that conflicts could be resolved peacefully and adversaries could be
reconciled through a mutual, determined commitment to nonviolence. No conflict,
he believed, need erupt in violence. And all conflicts in The Beloved Community
should end with reconciliation of adversaries cooperating together in a spirit
of friendship and goodwill.
As early as 1956, Dr. King spoke of the Beloved Community as the end goal of nonviolent boycotts. As he said in a speech at a victory rally following the announcement of a favorable U.S. Supreme Court Decision desegregating the seats on Montgomery’s busses, “the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends. It is this type of understanding goodwill that will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age. It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.”
An ardent student of the teachings of Mohandas K. Gandhi, Dr. King was much impressed with the Mahatma’s befriending of his adversaries, most of whom professed profound admiration for Gandhi’s courage and intellect. Dr. King believed that the age-old tradition of hating one’s opponents was not only immoral, but bad strategy which perpetuated the cycle of revenge and retaliation. Only nonviolence, he believed, had the power to break the cycle of retributive violence and create lasting peace through reconciliation.
Art. 12 Redemption and Reconciliation
In
a 1957 speech, Birth of A New Nation, Dr. King
said, “The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community.
The aftermath of nonviolence is redemption. The aftermath of nonviolence is
reconciliation. The aftermath of violence is emptiness and bitterness.” A year
later, in his first book Stride Toward Freedom,
Dr. King reiterated the importance of nonviolence in attaining the Beloved
Community. “In other words, our
ultimate goal is integration, which is genuine inter-group and inter-personal
living. Only through nonviolence can this goal be attained, for the aftermath
of nonviolence is reconciliation and the creation of the beloved
community."
In his 1959 Sermon on Gandhi, Dr. King elaborated on the after-effects of choosing nonviolence over violence: “The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, so that when the battle’s over, a new relationship comes into being between the oppressed and the oppressor.” In the same sermon, he contrasted violent versus nonviolent resistance to oppression. “The way of acquiescence leads to moral and spiritual suicide. The way of violence leads to bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. But, the way of non-violence leads to redemption and the creation of the beloved community.”
Art. 13 Brotherly Love
In a
In keeping with Dr. King’s teachings, The King Center embraces the conviction that the Beloved Community can be achieved through an unshakable commitment to nonviolence. We urge you to study Dr. King’s six principles and six steps of nonviolence, and make them a way life in your personal relationships, as well as a method for resolving social, economic and political conflicts, reconciling adversaries and advancing social change in your community, nation and world. With your help and God’s blessing, let us resolve to make The Beloved Community a glowing reality in the 21st century.
Art. 14 Biographical Outline
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years of civil rights activities. His charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, in this nation and around the world.
Dr. King’s concept of “somebodiness,” which symbolized the celebration of human worth and the conquest of subjugation, gave black and poor people hope and a sense of dignity. His philosophy of nonviolent direct action, and his strategies for rational and non-destructive social change, galvanized the conscience of this nation and reordered its priorities. His wisdom, his words, his actions, his commitment, and his dream for a new way of life are intertwined with the American experience.
Art. 15 Birth and Family
Martin
Luther King, Jr. was born at
Martin
Luther King, Jr.’s maternal grandparents were the
Reverend Adam Daniel Williams, second pastor of
He
married Coretta Scott, the younger daughter of
Obadiah and Bernice McMurry Scott of
Four children were born to Dr. and Mrs. King:
Art. 16 Education
At the age of five, Martin Luther King, Jr. began school,
before reaching the legal age of six, at the
In
1948, he graduated from
In
September of 1951, Martin Luther King, Jr. began doctoral studies in Systematic
Theology at
Art. 17 Honorary Degrees
Dr.
King was awarded honorary degrees from various colleges and universities in the
Art.
18 Career
Martin
Luther King, Jr. entered the Christian ministry and was ordained in February
1948 at the age of nineteen at
Dr.
King was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. He was elected
President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization that was
responsible for the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott from 1955 to 1956 (381
days). He was arrested thirty times for his participation in civil rights
activities. He was a founder and president of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference from 1957 to 1968. He was also Vice President of the National Sunday
School and Baptist Teaching Union Congress of the National Baptist Convention.
He was a member of several national and local boards of directors and served on
the boards of trustees of numerous institutions and agencies. Dr. King was
elected to membership in several learned societies including the prestigious
Art. 19 Awards
Dr.
King received numerous awards for his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.
Among them were the following:
The
above awards and others, along with numerous citations, are in the Archives of
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc. in
Art. 20 Publications
Although
extremely involved with his family, his church, the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, activities for peace and justice, his world travels, and his many
speaking engagements, Dr. King wrote six books and numerous articles. His
volumes include:
Art.
21 Death
Dr.
King was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in
On
December 8, 1999, a jury of twelve citizens of Memphis, Shelby County, TN
concluded in Coretta Scott King, Martin
Luther King, III, Bernice King, Dexter Scott King and Yolanda King Vs. Loyd Jowers and Other Unknown
Conspirators that Loyd Jowers
and governmental agencies including the City of Memphis, the State of
Tennessee, and the federal government were party to the conspiracy to
assassinate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr.
King’s funeral services were held on
In
recent years, events in the lives of the King family have continued to reflect
the tragedy and the triumph so uniquely combined in Dr. King’s own life and is
intrinsic, perhaps, in the lives of all dedicated persons the world over.
Just
a little more than a year after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, his younger
brother, Alfred Daniel, died in a tragic accident at his home in
On
Sunday,
In
1975, the year following his wife’s death, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr.
resigned his forty-four year pastorate at Ebenezer, passing on the active
leadership of the church to the young and inspired Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, Jr.
At his retirement banquet on August 1, 1975, however, “Daddy King” made it
clear – as if anyone could have thought otherwise – that his resignation did
not mean his retirement from the full and active life that has described his long
career. This “Giant of a Man,” as he was acclaimed on that memorable evening,
continued to work and to speak and to use the gifts with which the Lord had
endowed him in the loving service of others. Among the Rev. King, Sr.’s many
accomplishments is the completion of his one luxury,
the publication of his autobiography, Daddy King. Rev. Martin Luther
King, Sr. died on
Art. 22 March on
“I
say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today
and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American
dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the
true meaning of its creed; ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal.’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of
Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able
to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day,
even the state of
“I
have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their
character. I have a dream today¼I have a dream that one day down in Alabama
with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the
words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama,
little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with the little
white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.”
“This
hope is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the south with. And with
this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of
hope. With this faith we will be able to work togethr,
to pray together, to struggle together, to stand up for freedom together,
knowing that we will be free one day.”
“...And
so let freedom ring, from the prodigious hilltops of
Art. 23 The Nobel Peace Prize, 1964
“I
accept this award today with an abiding faith in
“I
refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a
militaristic stairway into the hell of a thermonuclear destruction. I believe
that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final world in reality.
This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger that evil triumphant.”
Art.
24 I’ve Been To the Mountaintop,”
“...That’s
the question before you tonight. Not, ‘If I stop to help the sanitation
workers, what will happen to my job?’ ‘Not, if I stop to help the sanitation
workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office
everyday and every week as a pastor?’ The question is not, ‘If I stop to help
this man in need, what will happen to me?’ The question is, ‘If I do not stop
to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?’ That’s the
question.”
“Let
us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater
determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of
challenge to make
“...And
they were telling me, now it doesn’t matter now. It really doesn’t matter what
happens now. I left
“And
then I got into
“Well,
I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it
really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop and I
don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its
place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will, and
He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over and I’ve seen
the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know
tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. And I’m happy
tonight; I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing
any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” Speeches
used by permission of Intellectual Properties Management,
Art. 25 Corretta
Scott King
Coretta Scott King is one of the most
influential women leaders in our world today. Prepared by her family,
education, and personality for a life committed to social justice and peace,
she entered the world stage in 1955 as wife of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and as a leading participant in the American Civil Rights Movement.
Her remarkable partnership with Dr. King resulted not only in four talented
children, but in a life devoted to the highest values of human dignity in
service to social change. Mrs. King has traveled throughout our nation and
world speaking out on behalf of racial and economic justice, women's and
children's rights, gay and lesbian dignity, religious freedom, the needs of the
poor and homeless, full-employment, health care, educational opportunities,
nuclear disarmament and ecological sanity. In her distinguished and productive
career, she has lent her support to democracy movements world-wide and served
as a consultant to many world leaders, including Corazon Aquino,
Kenneth Kaunda, and Nelson Mandela.
Born and raised in
During Dr. King's career, Mrs.
King devoted most of her time to raising their four children: Yolanda Denise
(1955), Martin Luther, III (1957), Dexter Scott (1961), and Bernice Albertine (1963). From the earliest days, however, she
balanced mothering and movement work, speaking before church, civic, college,
fraternal and peace groups. She conceived and performed a series of
favorably-reviewed Freedom Concerts which combined prose and poetry narration
with musical selections and functioned as fundraisers for the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference, the direct action organization of which Dr. King served
as first president. In 1957, she and Dr. King journeyed to
Since her husband's assassination
in 1968, Mrs. King has devoted much of her energy and attention to developing
programs and building the Atlanta-based Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for
Nonviolent Social Change as a living memorial to her husband's life and dream.
Situated in the Freedom Hall complex encircling Dr. King's tomb, The King
Center is part of a 23-acre national historic park which includes his birth
home, and which hosts over one million visitors a year. For 27 years
(1968-1995), Mrs. King devoted her life to developing The King Center, the
first institution built in memory of an African American leader. As founding
President, Chair, and Chief Executive Officer, she dedicated herself to
providing local, national and international programs that have trained tens of
thousands of people in Dr. King's philosophy and methods; she guided the
creation and housing of the largest archives of documents from the Civil Rights
Movement; and, perhaps her greatest legacy after establishing The King Center
itself, Mrs. King spearheaded the massive educational and lobbying campaign to
establish Dr. King's birthday as a national holiday. In 1983, an act of
Congress instituted the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission,
which she chaired for its duration. And in January 1986, Mrs. King oversaw the
first legal holiday in honor of her husband--a holiday which has come to be
celebrated by millions of people world-wide and, in some form, in over 100
countries.
Coretta Scott King has carried the message of
nonviolence and the dream of the beloved community to almost every corner of
our nation and globe. She has led goodwill missions to many countries in
Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia. She has spoken at many of history's
most massive peace and justice rallies. She served as a Women's Strike for
Peace delegate to the seventeen-nation Disarmament Conference in Geneva,
Switzerland in 1962. She is the first woman to deliver the class day address at
Harvard, and the first woman to preach at a statutory service at
A life-long advocate of
interracial coalitions, in 1974 Mrs. King formed a broad coalition of over 100
religious, labor, business, civil and women's rights organizations dedicated to
a national policy of full employment and equal economic opportunity, as
Co-Chair of the Full Employment Action Council. In 1983, she brought together
more than 800 human rights organizations to form the Coalition of Conscience,
sponsors of the 20th Anniversary March on Washington, until then the largest
demonstration in our nation's capital. In 1987, she helped lead a national
Mobilization Against Fear and Intimidation in
Always close to her family, in
1985 Mrs. King and three of her children were arrested at the South African
embassy in
One of the most influential
African-American leaders of our time, Mrs. King has received honorary
doctorates from over 60 colleges and universities; has authored three books and
a nationally-syndicated column; and has served on, and helped found, dozens of
organizations, including the Black Leadership Forum, the National Black
Coalition for Voter Participation, and the Black Leadership Roundtable.
She has dialogued with heads of
state, including prime ministers and presidents; and she has put in time on
picket lines with welfare rights mothers. She has met with great spiritual
leaders, including Pope John Paul, the Dalai Lama, Dorothy Day, and Bishop
Desmond Tutu. She has witnessed the historic handshake between Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin and Chairman Yassir Arafat at the
signing of the Middle East Peace Accords. She has stood with Nelson Mandela in
Art.
26 The
Established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King, The King Center is the
official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., leader of
More than 650,000 visitors from
all over the world are drawn annually to the King Center to pay homage to Dr.
King, view unique exhibits illustrating his life and teachings and visit the
King Center’s Library, Archives, his final resting place, his birth home, gift
shop and other facilities. Located in Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Historic Site, The King Center utilizes diverse communications media,
including books, audio and video cassettes, film, television, CDs and web
pages, to reach out far beyond its physical boundaries to educate people all
over the world about Dr. King’s life, work and his philosophy and methods of
nonviolent conflict-reconciliation and social change.
Glossary for Direct Action
AGAPE - Overflowing
unconditional love for all, including adversaries, needed for nonviolent
conflict-resolution. Dr. King called it “love in action…love seeking to
preserve and create community…love which is purely spontaneous, unmotivated,
groundless and creative.”
AHIMSA - The Hindi word for non-injury, or nonviolence made popular by
Gandhi as the central value of his beliefs and leadership.
ARBITRATION - Hearing of a dispute and determining its outcome by a
mutually-agreed-upon third party. Can be binding or
non-binding.
BELOVED COMMUNITY - Term coined by philosopher Josiah Royce to denote an
ideal community, used frequently by Dr. King to describe a society of justice,
peace and harmony which can be achieved through nonviolence. In his sermon at
BOYCOTT – A campaign of withdrawal of support from a company, government
or institution which is committing an injustice, such as racial discrimination.
As Dr. King said, “There is nothing quite so effective
as the refusal to cooperate with the forces and institutions which perpetuate evil
in our communities.”
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE – The act of openly disobeying an unjust,
immoral or unconstitutional law as a matter of conscience, and accepting the
consequences, including submitting to imprisonment if necessary, to protest an
injustice.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION - Ending of conflict, disputes or disagreements by
nonviolent means with intent to achieve a “win-win” outcome for all parties.
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION - A refusal to participate in
military service because of moral beliefs.
CREATIVE TENSION – In his Letter from A Birmingham Jail, Dr. King said,
“Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such
creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is
forced to confront the issue…I must confess that I am not afraid of the word,
tension. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but
there is a type of constructive tension that is necessary for growth… the
purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will
inevitably open the door to negotiation.”
DEMONSTRATIONS - Gatherings and protest activities organized to build
support for peace, justice or social reform.
DIRECT ACTION - Nonviolent resistance to injustice.
More than 250 forms of nonviolent direct action have been identified, including
marches, boycotts, picketing, sit-ins and prayer vigils, to name a few. See Six steps of nonviolence.
FASTING - Refusing to eat as a method of self-purification to be
spiritually strengthened for nonviolent action, or as a protest.
GANDHI, MOHANDAS K. - (1869—1948) Leader of India’s nonviolent
independence movement, who forced the British to quit
LAWS, JUST VS. UNJUST - A distinction
made in deciding to engage in civil disobedience. A just law is created by both
a majority and minority, and is binding on both. An unjust law is created by a
majority that is binding on the minority, when the minority has no voice in
creating the law. Dr. King said, “A just law is a man-made code that squares
with moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of
harmony with moral law…One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly
and with a willingness to accept the penalty.”
MASS MARCH - A large number of people walk in a group to a place of
symbolic significance to protest an injustice.
MEDIATION - intervention in a dispute by a neutral third party with
expertise on a particular issue for the purpose of securing a compromise, an
agreement or reconciliation. A mediator can not impose a binding agreement.
MORAL SUASION - Appealing to the moral beliefs of an adversary or the
public to convince the adversary to change behavior or attitudes.
NEGOTIATION - Process of discussing, compromising and bargaining with
adversaries in good faith to secure a resolution to a conflict and
reconciliation of adversaries. (See six steps of nonviolence below)
NONCOOPERATION - Refusal to participate in activities of or cooperate
with individuals, governments, institutions, policies or laws that result in
violence or injustice.
PACIFISM - A philosophy based on an absolute refusal to engage in
violence because it is morally wrong.
PASSIVE RESISTANCE - Challenging an injustice by refusing to support or
cooperate with an unjust law, action or policy. The term “passive” is
misleading because passive resistance includes pro-active nonviolence, such as
marches, boycotts and other forms of active protest.
PERSONAL COMMITMENT - The spiritual and psychological
decision to participate in nonviolent action to eliminate an injustice.
Prayer, meditation and sometimes fasting are used to deepen one’s spiritual
understanding.
PETITION CAMPAIGNS - gathering of massive numbers of signatures in
support of or opposed to a policy, proposal or law.
PICKETING - A group of individuals walk with signs bearing protest
messages in front of a site where an injustice has been committed.
PURIFICATION - The cleansing of anger, selfishness and violent attitudes
from the heart and soul in preparation for a nonviolent struggle. (See six
steps of nonviolence below)
RECONCILIATION - The end goal of nonviolence. Bringing
together of adversaries in a spirit of community after a conflict has been
resolved. (See six steps of nonviolence below)
REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING – A willingness to accept
suffering without seeking revenge or retribution. When an individual or
group experiences injustice and abuse for a good cause, it will help produce a
greater good.
SATYAGRAHA - Hindi for “soul force,” a term coined by Gandhi to
emphasize the power of unadorned truth and love in a social struggle
SAVING FACE - Offering an adversary an alternative course of action
which spares him or her embarrassment.
SELECTIVE PATRONAGE - The flip side of a boycott.
Making a point of purchasing a product or service from a
company that supports justice.
SIT-INS - Tactic of nonviolence in which protesters sit down at the site
of an injustice and refuse to move for a specified period of time or until
goals are achieved. Examples include
SIX PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE - Fundamental tenets of Dr. King’s
philosophy of nonviolence described in his first book, Stride Toward Freedom.
The six principles include: (1.) Nonviolence is not passive, but requires courage;
(2.) Nonviolence seeks reconciliation, not defeat of an adversary; (3.)
Nonviolent action is directed at eliminating evil, not destroying an evil-doer;
(4.) A willingness to accept suffering for the cause, if necessary, but never
to inflict it; (5.) A rejection of hatred, animosity or violence of the spirit,
as well as refusal to commit physical violence; and (6.) Faith that justice
will prevail.
SIX STEPS OF NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE - A sequential process of
nonviolent conflict-resolution and social change based on Dr. King’s teachings.
The Six Steps of Nonviolence developed by The King Center include: (1.)
Information gathering and research to get the facts straight; (2.) Education of
adversaries and the public about the facts of the dispute; (3.) Personal
Commitment to nonviolent attitudes and action; (4.) Negotiation with adversary
in a spirit of goodwill to correct injustice; (5.)Nonviolent direct action,
such as marches, boycotts, mass demonstrations, picketing, sit-ins etc., to
help persuade or compel adversary to work toward dispute-resolution; (6.)
Reconciliation of adversaries in a win-win outcome in establishing a sense of
community.
STOCKHOLDER’S CAMPAIGN - Individuals or groups purchases a small amount
of stock so they can have introduce resolutions at stockholder meetings, vote
as stockholders and lobby corporations to correct an injustice.
STRIKES - Organized withholding of labor to correct injustice.
TEACH-INS - An organized event or series of events, including public
hearings, lectures, panel discussions, theatrical presentations, showing of
films, role-playing and scenario exercises and other educational techniques, to
inform public about a particular issue.
TRADE SANCTIONS - A nation levies import taxes on products from another
nation, or bans importation of a nation’s products altogether.
UNEARNED SUFFERING - See REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING.
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE - See “AGAPE.”
VIGILS - A form of protest in which individuals and groups stand, sit,
walk, or pray at a site linked to an injustice or symbolically associated with
principles of freedom, justice or peace.
This document is to be appended to King Blackwell HA-17-1-05 with amendments of the document to reflect the truth.